PAK IRAN RELATIONS:


Pakistan’s Basic Policy toward Islamic Republic of Iran

Pakistan sees Iran as an important neighbour that has geo-strategic location and with which people of Pakistan share common faith, history. Iran, therefore, is a key element in Pakistan’s foreign policy. Pakistan believes that maintenance of cordial ties with Iran is important for the regional economic prosperity and security. Pakistan-Iran close relations are a source of strength not only for both the countries but also for the region.


Pak-Iran Cooperation at Pakistan-Iran Relations

Iran is an important neighbour of Pakistan because of its geo-strategic location and bonds of common faith, history, culture and other deep-rooted links between the two countries. Iran, therefore, figures high in Pakistan’s foreign policy. Pakistan-Iran close relations are a source of strength not only for both the countries but also for the region.

Iran was one of the first few countries that recognised Pakistan soon after its independence. The two countries share perceptions on important regional and international issues and cooperate closely in multilateral fora including the UN, OIC, ECO and D-8.

Although Pakistan and Iran have difference of opinion over Afghanistan, the two countries have similar interests in Afghanistan viz. cessation of hostilities, preservation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan and return of millions of refugees to their homeland.

Pak-Iran relations are marked by frequent contacts at the highest level, which provide focus and direction to the bilateral relationship. Cooperation between Pakistan and Iran in various areas like Trade and Commerce, Science and technology, Defence, Arts and Culture, Tourism, Communications, Oil and Gas, etc has been improving steadily. Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission (JEC) has held Eleven sessions so far.


Major exports of Pakistan to Iran include Rice, Yarn, Synthetic Fibres, Paper and Paperboard, etc. Pakistan on the other hand, imports Petroleum and Petroleum Products, Fruits, Vegetables, Ores and Concentrates of Iron & Steel and Raw Cotton from Iran. The balance of trade, as may be seen above, remains heavily tilted in Iran’s favour. Iran can help reduce trade gap by importing rice, wheat, yarn, paper, surgical goods, sports goods and toys from Pakistan.


Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission

Pak-Iran economic relations are governed by Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission (JEC), which was established in 1986. It provides a useful institutional framework in the identification of areas to promote economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries. It also periodically reviews and monitors the implementation of various decisions taken in this regard by the representatives of the two countries.

The 11th session of the Pak-Iran Joint Economic Commission was held in Islamabad in March 1999. The Coordinators of Pakistan-Iran JEC met in Islamabad on April 26-28, 2000 to review implementation of the decisions taken during the 11th Session. The meeting concluded with signing of an MoU to implement the pending decisions promptly.

PAKISTAN IRAN CURRENT RELATIONS :
Pakistan-Iran relations since 9/11 have considerably improved from earlier frostiness in the 1990s due to the Taliban factor in Afghanistan. Hence Pakistan is increasingly concerned that any harm or destabilisation of Iran through any external military action may create problems not only for Iran but also for Pakistan. In this light, Pakistan has urged both countries to defuse the tense situation through mutual dialogue and consultations.
While the Iranians seem to be adamant in pursuit of their nuclear programme for perceived national interest, the US is aggressively pursuing its global agenda for "regime change" and re-shaping of the Middle East.

In truth, Pakistan's role in US-Iran crisis is very limited as Pakistan has neither the clout nor the credibility to play any effective mediatory role as evidenced . On the one hand, there is a self-willed superpower that has a mind and agenda of its own, while on the other hand, there is Iran whose clerical leadership is equally inflexible and rigid with a history of US defiance for almost quarter a century.

If the surgical strikes by the US or by Israel against Iran's nuclear installations, are going to complicate Pakistan's strategic problems. Not only refugees could flood into the border province of Balochistan it would add to the tense situation as Balochistan. Also, any military confrontation will place Pakistan in an awkward position of siding between a strategic ally and a traditional Muslim friend and a neighbour.

Pakistan would be the last country to see Iran suffer or go down in any confrontation. The latter's destabilisation could send shock waves of agitation in the Islamic world, especially Pakistan where anti-US sentiment is already simmering. Moreover, this will put added pressures on Musharraf government - already beset with a plethora of domestic problems.

The US may harbour some expectations from Pakistan as a "strategic ally" for greater cooperation that Pakistan may be unable or unwilling to fulfill. Inability to take sides could result in spoiling relations with the US. On the other hand, the Iranians may feel disappointed with Pakistan as the latter acquiesces to US pressures and looks the other way in its difficult times, though Pakistan has explicitly stated that it will not allow its facilities to be used against Iran.

The US, if successful in Iran, will feel further emboldened to pursue its strategic objective of "dealing with" Pakistan's nuclear programme. Notwithstanding all assurances of bonhomie, Pakistan stands in the dock for alleged nuclear export and smuggling charges. With non-proliferation taking a centrestage after terrorism under re-elected Bush administration, Pakistan may come under greater heat in the coming years. Many observers feel that Pak-US friendship is opportunistic and not a durable strategic relationship. Two unequal powers - a global and a small power - cannot get along for long and will soon diverge in their outlooks, it is argued.

GAS PIPELINE PROJECT:

Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project is also in the doldrums as the US seems determined to pressurise and isolate Iran over the nuclear issue. The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in her recent tour to India and Pakistan expressed US "concern" about the pipeline project and termed it as an act of "rewarding" Iran.
Should Pakistan's security environment deteriorate, there is a real danger that India-Pak ongoing rapprochement may also suffer: a weakened and threatened Pakistan may be overly defensive and prove non-cooperative to India.
Under these circumstances, it seems difficult for Pakistan to persuade Iran to revoke its nuclear programme since it is considered cardinal to the latter's national security. After all, Pakistan too pursued in building its own nuclear programme on putative national interests despite worldwide protestations. Moreover, the Iranian clerical leadership's survival and credibility will come under grater stake if it forswears its nuclear programme.
As pressure builds up against Iran, it may find it difficult to continue playing off the EU-3 against the US. The US and Israel, already smarting under Iran's hostile policies and alleged support to Hizbullah, Hamas and Palestinian groups, are leery of clerical regime's future nuclear weapons programme. This is seen as threatening to the Israel-US interests in the region.
Needless to say that the US hubris stems in part from its successful efforts in toppling unpopular regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq, installing of new regimes, extracting willing obedience from countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia Gulf and lack of popular upsurge in the Arab streets against its military occupations.

US hope is that similar apathy will follow since the Islamic world is too divided to put up a united front. Perhaps it wants to play up on the Shia-Sunni divide and harbour the hope that many of the Arab leaders world would look the other way or acquiesce in action against Iran as the latter did in case of Iraq.

Iran cannot be compared to Iraq, assert many observers. The latter's size, population, military prowess and nationalist ideology are seen as assets that would make US or Israel think twice before launching any military adventure. But then this was equally claimed about Iraq as an Arab "regional military power". While Iraq's occupation is not a total success, it has not been a domestic fiasco for Bush administration either as his re-election has demonstrated; in fact, it is seen as vindication of his policies and actions.
By characterising Iran as "axis of evil" and "an outpost of tyranny" the US views Iran's clerical leaders as "unreliable", who are biding their time in avenging past humiliation through building of nuclear weapons. Most of the US perceptions are shaped by Israel which is egging on the US to act before it is too late.

Caught between a rock and hard place, Pakistan can do precious little except hoping that things do not come to such a pass. It is hoped that the six-party dialogue formula as followed by the US with North Korea could be replicated in case of Iran. Needless to say that for any defusing of tensions both Iran and US will have to make some concessions.

On Pakistan's part, an overriding wish is that this crisis does not blow over and that Iran is able to work out some peaceful arrangements with the US under the principle of "give and take". A workable compromise could spare it any military confrontation.

While harnessing nuclear energy is a country's right the prevailing norms against nuclear proliferation have grown very stringent. The world after 9/11 is much different. What was possible before is difficult now. Pakistan desires that Iran should take a decision that it best for its national interests to preserve its national sovereignty and integrity and avoid any needless confrontation.