Welcome progress

Relations between Pakistan and Iran have been troubled on multiple fronts over the past few years. Iran has often accused Pakistan of failing to secure the border, and allowing the infiltration of militants. On one occasion it even threatened to cross over into Pakistani territory to chase down militants it alleges come into Iran to carry out attacks and then sneak back across the border. Internationally, Iran is wary of Pakistan because of the country’s alliance with Saudi Arabia. Iran believes the real purpose of the Saudi anti-terrorism force, headed by former army chief Raheel Sharif, is to bring all Sunni-majority nations together to target it. There have been other points of contention too, such as Pakistan’s decision to pull out of the Iranian gas pipeline or Iran excluding us from the Chabahar Port development. But there are also signs of improvement. Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa’s visit to Iran last year set the tone for greater cooperation and the return visit of Iranian Chief of General Staff Major General Mohammed Bagheri for a three-day trip could lead to further breakthroughs. Bagheri met with caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Hussain Haroon and General Bajwa and both meetings stressed the need for greater military cooperation.

The cooperation, however, will only be forthcoming if Pakistan is able to improve border security. In a sense, our difficulties with Iran are similar to those we have with Afghanistan. Both countries believe that Pakistan is either lax in going after militants or is even helping them cross the border and carry out attacks. The only way to counter this impression is through regular contact. Pakistan has made some progress on this front with Iran thanks to Bagheri’s visit and the meeting on counterterrorism cooperation we held in Islamabad earlier this month with the intelligence chiefs of Russia, China and Iran. Senate Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla has been speaking of resurrecting the gas pipeline which, should it happen, would significantly increase economic cooperation between the two countries. The biggest stumbling block will be the reintroduction of sanctions against Iran by the US now that US President Trump has pulled out of the nuclear deal. Should the US pressure the international community to go along with the sanctions, the pipeline could again be still-born. Iran will also be warily looking at Pakistan’s alliance with Saudi Arabia. In the past, it has been worried that we may send troops to Yemen. Should similar suspicions arise it could spell an end to the progress that has been made recently.