Impact of Wahhabi Influence in Pakistan onto Relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran

The alliance of Wahhabi Sheikh and the Saudi Emir in the 18th century and its historical persistence caused the establishment of the Arabia government in the twentieth century and the Wahhabism becomes the official religion of this country. The Saudi government exploits the publicity and propaganda of this sect to attract the views of Wahhabi clergymen and as its influencing and diplomacy tool in Islamic countries. The oil wealth has provided the necessary funds in this area for Saudi government. Pakistan has also been apt to the influence of Saudi Wahhabism due to some grounds, the influence that can be exploited to limit the influence of rival Iran and disturb the relations of Iran and Pakistan. This paper aims to investigate the grounds and influence of Saudi Wahhabism in Pakistan and analyse the effect of this influence on the relations of Pakistan and Iran. In this way, by employing the analytical-descriptive method and benefiting the credible library based resources, this assumption is exposed to test that the religious similarities as well as economic and cultural poverty in Pakistan alongside the financial power and the publicity-educative centres under the control and influence of Arabia, have been the ground maker of birth and expansion of Wahhabi Salafism in Pakistan. Considering the serious conflict of this sect with Shiite religion, the Wahhabi Salafism enters the action from confrontation gate against Shiites and creating challenge in the relations of Pakistan and Shiite Iran. The research data confirms the research assumption of this article.