Pakistan’s regional isolation

A policy of doing nothing won’t work anymore

Thanks a military dictated foreign policy Pakistan has got itself badly isolated in the region. The country’s relations with India, Afghanistan and Iran are, to varying degrees, in bad shape. Besides tensions on the Eastern and Western frontiers, Pakistan’s border with Iran is also becoming a source of anxiety. In February Iranian interior minister threatened to send troops inside Pakistan if steps were not taken by Islamabad against terrorist groups launching attacks inside Iran from Pakistan’s territory. Last month, President Hassan Rouhani underlined the need for the removal of security concerns at the two countries’ common border. Early this month Iran’s police chief hinted that his country could seal its border with Pakistan any time. Any attempt to improve the relations is therefore welcome. During Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s visit he was told by highest Iranian authorities what hurt Tehran the most i.e., sectarian violence in the Pakistan-Iran border region and cross border attacks by anti-Iran sectarian groups. Iran is dissatisfied with the level of cooperation so far provided by Pakistan and wants Islamabad to do more to put an end to the attacks.

Pakistan needs to enhance economic relations and expand trade with Iran. Iran is a potential market for Pakistan’s exports. The latter also needs Iranian gas and is keen to import power from Iran. Most of all Pakistan needs a friendly neighbour and a secure border.

There are two hurdles in the improvement of relations. American sanctions stand in the way of import of gas from Iran. As nuclear talks with Iran have gone surprisingly well, the withdrawal of US sanctions in days to come cannot be ruled out. One expects Islamabad to continue to press Washington that it needs the Iranian gas badly. The Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, look at the regional politics from a narrow sectarian perspective. What is more they continue to finance and encouraged anti-Shia terrorist groups in Pakistan, some of which attack Iran. Unless Nawaz Sharif is able to persuade the Saudis or is able to come out of their influence, the anti-Shia terrorist groups would continue attacks inside Iran and play havoc in Pakistan.

It all depends on whether the PML-N government is able to resist the overtures on the part of certain Gulf countries or any other power that might want to use Pakistan’s territory to destabilise Iran. Unless it does so the desire expressed in Tehran for increased bilateral trade and strengthening relationship and cooperation between the two countries will remain a pipedream. Nawaz Sharif has to realise that Pakistan badly needs to improve ties with neighbours.