What their relationship could have been
Pakistan and Iran share not just a border but a history that goes back a couple of millennia. The South Asian region has been influenced by the Persian civilizations over the centuries so much that even Pakistan’s national language, Urdu, carries an inordinately high proportion of Persian words. Yet over the past few years, actually the last few decades since Wahabi influence fanned by a certain Arabian nation has overwhelmed Pakistan, relations between the two states even though not exactly tense, have not been anywhere close to the cordiality that one expects. The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline was supposed to alter the situation for the better but since Islamabad has been alternately blowing hot and cold over the project, it remains uncompleted and un-commissioned owing to its remaining in a state of limbo on the Pakistani side. To be fair, the pricing mechanism that Iran has insisted on all along too has not helped – this coming on top of insurgency, terrorism, economic issues and international pressure on Pakistan.
Why the governments in Pakistan have instead of given greater importance mostly given a cold shoulder to the friendly Muslim nation is a question that begs to be answered. Gen Kayani, for example, had visited every important nation near and far during his six-year double tenure, but he, it seems, assiduously avoid Tehran. Even the new government, led by the PML-N, seems to not give much of a priority to Tehran. All this while there have been incidents where terrorists trained in Pakistan carried out terror activities in the Iranian territory. The way Islamabad has treated a neighbour that stood by Islamabad almost always is not a way to win Iranian and make friends. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
Nawaz Sharif has visited many countries in his first six months in office. His itinerary has also bypassed Tehran. This needs to change, particularly when now the US is also considering closer relations with Iran. The IP gas pipeline, meanwhile, needs some serious work by the government, not just verbal assurances the government functionaries issue every other week. If the government is serious in solving the natural gas crisis in the country, it should start working on the project on an emergency basis, finishing it as soon as possible or their promises in this regard would remain hollow.
