India fast on the draw
The stunning developments post Hassan Rouhani’s getting elected as the Iranian president and the thaw with United States, the geopolitics of the region is changing rapidly. Iran’s star is inexorably on the rise, and the powers opposed to it are apprehensive but can do precious little about it. Like everyone else in the region, India too was caught unaware on the crucial development, but has since been quick on the draw to make attempt to get optimum benefit out of the changing scenario owing to its already most cordial relations with Iran. In order to circumvent Pakistan, it was already developing the port of Chabahar in southeast Iran, after having built a 240-odd kilometers stretch of road in a treacherous terrain in landlocked Afghanistan to facilitate access to the landlocked nation and through it deep into Central Asia from Chabahar. Having already developed close diplomatic and economic relations with Iran and security and economic interests in Afghanistan, India is investing there and being facilitated by both nations. With Iran’s interim agreement with half a dozen world powers, India has put the construction of the long-running Chabahar port project on a fast track – knowing that the sanctions would not come in the way of its designs.
Pakistan meanwhile has not been able to take advantage of its historic ties with Iran to its fullest extent because of various reasons. For one, Pakistan needs to shed its prejudices, broaden its lens to the widest angle and take the entire picture in view for improving its relations with Iran and generally with everyone around us including India to move forward at pace. Remaining immersed in the sectarian violence inspired by the Salafist Saudis for their own self-serving interests has ripped the fabric of our society asunder, and has impacted relations with Iran adversely.
What is needed is to move efficiently to take relations with Iran to a higher level. To achieve that end, Pakistan needs to deny anti-Iran forces the use of its soil. And the government also needs to be proactive towards building the gas pipeline on a priority basis and resolve the bottlenecks quickly. Not only with Iran but with India too, Pakistan needs to develop decent relations. Russia has warmed up to us as well. This too needs to be reciprocated. The policymakers in Pakistan must recalibrate relations on the basis of cooperation rather than confrontation. In that context, stopping the NATO supply route too is not a great idea at this particular point in time.
