Keep all channels – and eyes – open
Recent developments have added manifold to Pakistan’s isolation in the region which can be harmful for the country. Islamabad needs to take all the measures available to it to come out of the predicament. It should be willing to go the extra mile to improve relations with neighbours. While Afghan refugees should not be allowed to have Pakistani ID cards and passports, they need to be treated humanely and sent back honourably. Issuing provocative statements like the one by Balochistan Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti amounts to playing in the hands of those who want the keep the two countries in a state of permanent confrontation. The policy should be to win over the Afghan government and people instead of alienating them further. While there is little hope of the resumption of talks between the new Taliban leadership and the Afghan government anytime soon, Islamabad should nevertheless keep the channels of consultation with Kabul open. It should try to revive the quadrilateral process for peace. What should not be forgotten is that peace in Afghanistan is in the supreme interest of Pakistan itself
That Afghanistan and Iran have signed an agreement with India to develop Chabahar port in no way constitutes an unfriendly act. There are a number of Muslim countries which have developed economic and security relations with India. These include Pakistan’s traditional allies like Saudi Arabia and UAE. Sataj Aziz has rightly maintained that Chabahar should not be considered a rival facility and instead Gwadar and Chabahar should be linked by road and treated as sister facilities. Recently during the visit of President Hassan Rouhani Iran and Pakistan signed a number of projects to enhance connectivity between the two countries. On Thursday Iranian ambassador Mehdi Honardoost once again reiterated his country’s commitment to Pak-Iran friendship. Pakistan and Iran, he said, are tested and tried friends. He also suggested that Chabahar and Gwadar should be treated as complementary ports. Islamabad would be acting unwisely if it was to harbour suspicions about Iran
