After a turbulent decade, the Pakistani-Iranian relations are growing by leaps and bounds. Iran, Pakistan dump differences: Joint Trilateral strategy for Afghanistan. Iran has learned a lesson after being stabbed in the back by Delhi at the IAEA and after Bharat (aka India) cooperated with the Israelis in sending an Iran specific satellite into orbit. Iran retaliated by canceling an multi-billion Dollar agreement with Bharat. The relationship between Bharat and Iran suffered further after Delhi refused to enter into an agreement with Iran on the Gas pipeline through Pakistan.
Pakistan and Iran have now come to an understaning on Afghanistan. Both countries signed an agreement which was then used by Turkey to get all of Afghanistan’s neoighbors on board. More significanlty the international London conference supported the trilateral agreement and the Regional conference.
TEHRAN (APP) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will soon visit Pakistan to develop a joint action plan for further boosting bilateral ties and strengthening tripartite contracts with Afghanistan on security issues, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has told a visiting Pakistani media delegation.
“We are in consultation through diplomatic channels to finalize dates of the visit,” Mottaki said. This will be the first-ever visit of President Ahmadinejad, since he assumed the office.
The visit would be a bilateral event or part of trilateral conference between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, Mottaki explained.
During the last two years, their bilateral relationship received tremendous boost in all sectors of bilateral interest, he said hoping the forthcoming visit of President Ahmadinejad will further consolidate their deep-rooted historical and cultural relationship.
Mottaki said that Pakistan and Iran are part of a single body. Condemning Zionist anti-Islamic policies world over, he said inimical forces, particularly Israel are bent upon to divide and harm us. But, he said they will never succeed.
Brushing aside impression of any conflict between the two neighboring countries, Iranian Foreign Minister stated that they have been maintaining close contacts to adopt common position on regional and international issues.” Both sides attach high importance to expanding their socio-economic partnership, through projects like Gas pipeline. “We are good neighbors and sincere friends and our common border is a border of friendship and peace” he remarked.
In the 60s, Pakistan was a military power, and an economic powerhouse. Its growth rates were emulated by Korea and Indonesia. Pakistan, Turkey and Iran had formed the RCD (Regional Cooperation for Development). Iran could have used it as a vehicle for development. It did not have the vision to build on it. Iran also sabotaged its successor organization the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) which included the former states of he USSR. These were economic engines that could have created a powerhouse using Turkish access to Europe, Iranian oil, and Pakistani resources and scientific know how. The vacuum left behind allowed Russia to come back to Central Asia and built the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) without Iran or Pakistan. During the reign of the Reza Pehlavi, “descendant of Cyrus” who ruled Persia, the Shah or Iran, His Highness Reza Shah Pehlavi made the announcement in 1971, that if there was free for all “Iran would take Baluchistan”. Iran is mostly Sunni. Its Sistan-Baluchistan province is Sunni. Pakistani Baluchistan is Sunni. The statement made no sense at all. This is etched in the minds of Pakistani policy makers. Iranians have never apologized for that statement, and Pakistanis have never countered it with , “if there is an attack on Iran, Pakistan will take Sistan-Baluchistan”.
After the Soviets had left Afghanistan, the Iranians played a very negative role in continuing the civil war in Afghanistan. They teamed up with India and Russia and supported the minority non-Pashtun alliance of Ahmed Shah Masud. For about a decade neither party was able to be victorious because Iran continued to support the Heratis. After the Taliban took over Iran picked a needless fight with the Taliban and even threatened to invade Afghanistan. A proxy war between Pakistan on the one side, and Iran-Russia-India on the other side led to the lawlessness the left the area vacant to be invaded by the Taliban. They should have been working in eliminating the minefields and moderating the silly ordinances of the extremists. Iran should have been working with the Pakistanis to develop Afghanistan as a modern state after the USSR had been defeated and the Americans had left. Instead Iran, ‘drunk’ with its revolutionary power wanted all of Afghanistan to kowtow to it
That was then and this is now. No tensions exist between the two brotherly countries.
Reiterating firm resolve of his country keeping their relations free-of-tension, Mottaki said, their relations are not against any third party, and his country will never allow third country to affect its relations with Pakistan.
Clarifying his country’s position on nuclear issue, the Iranian Foreign Minister said, “We don’t believe in nuclear bomb. Time for nuclear bomb is over. It is only a source of destruction. West in fact, he contended is afraid of unity and strong leadership of the Iranian nation.
“Our nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes, we are signatory of NPT and are fully adhering to the laid-down conditions of IAEA,” he added. There is no reason of targeting Iran on issue of its peaceful nuclear program.
Firmly opposing presence of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Mottaki said it has proved counter-productive. Terrorism, crimes and production of illicit drugs in Afghanistan are on rise, and the foreign forces have failed to restore rule of law in the war-torn country.
Terrorism is a serious issue, but Iranian Foreign Minister stressed that it could be tackled only through a regional strategy. The leaders of Pakistan and Iran have already agreed for a trilateral conference for promoting sustainable peace, stability and security in Afghanistan. The conference is likely to take place in Islamabad in the near future.
The three countries have signed a Joint Islamabad Declaration envisaging road map for future interaction in security and other fields of common interest. They have agreed on strategy which called for a regional rather than foreign solution to the Afghan conflict.
They have also agreed to look into the possibilities of evolving regional approach to the some of the challenges facing the region including illicit weapons, drug money and financing of militancy through narco-money.
About bilateral cooperation, the foreign minister further said they are agreed to strengthen bilateral ties in diverse spheres, especially infrastructure connectivity and collaboration in the field of energy.
Earlier, welcoming the media delegation, the Iranian Foreign Minister hoped such media inter-exchanges will help further promoting harmony and better understanding among the people of the two countries.
The delegation included Muhammad Afzal Butt President National Press Club, Hamid Mir senior anchorperson of Geo TV, Mir, Siddiq Baluch, Editor Balochistan Express, Syed Ayaz Badshah Chief Editor Daily Mashriq, Mian Shahid Nadeem Producer Nawa-i-Waqat TV, Imran Shahid Anchorperson Express TV, Amir Latif, Bueau Chief Online Karachi and Javed Akhtar Director News, APP.
During its three-day stay in Tehran, the delegation also had separate meetings with Deputy Foreign Minster Muhammad Ali Fathollahi and Deputy President Iran Supreme Council for National Security Ali Baqeri.
It also met Deputy Minister for culture and Media Affairs Mohammad Ali Ramin. The two sides discussed various proposals for cooperation in media sector. It was agreed that National Press Club and its Iranian counterpart will enter into an agreement for promoting collaboration and interaction among the media persons of the two countries. Teheran Times. Mottaki: Pakistan and Iran are part of a single body
Now Mr. Ahmedinijad is coming to Islamabad to sign a plethora of agreements which include building a $20 billion train line from Islamabad to Istanbul via Teheran.
The gas pipeline, and closer coordination between ECO members will obviously be on the agenda. Additionally, the SCO is now considering the membership of both Pakistan and Iran. While the Pakistani memership faces almost no opposition, the Chinese and the Russian may feel that letting Iran into the regional grouping may be seen as a provocative step.
If Pakistan gets attached to the SCO, this will be a major achievementof the PPPP government.
Iran and Pakistan could be building space delivery vehicles, manning stations in the Artic, building schools and hospitals in every nook and corner, creating universities and research programs
