ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ex-envoy to Iran Javid Husain said that efforts should be made by both Iran and Pakistan to link Chabahar and Gwadar through road and rail links so that the goods can move more easily between the two, according to an Iranian news agency.
Talking on an interview the ex-envoy said that there is no harm in the element of competition between the two ports.
“Iran and Pakistan have always been very close to each other, historically, culturally and politically but we need to develop our economic and commercial cooperation on which we have not made much progress as we should have,” he pointed out.
The diplomat added right now there is very suitable environment to develop Iran and Pakistan economic cooperation.
“The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) can be easily extended to Iran and the country can become a partner in that framework leading to trilateral cooperation.
“Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has already expressed his willingness to join the CPEC and we should welcome that approach,” he said.
The former ambassador expressing his views said it is good that authorities of Chabahar and Gwadar compete with each other. If they compete, they can become more efficient and perform better and in the process both Iran and Pakistan would get the benefit.
Javid Husain added everybody knows that the US has been putting pressure on Pakistan not to go with Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project but in principle and as a matter of policy Pakistan has rejected that pressure; the reality is that there are some economic sanctions by the US which are creating difficulties.
“But what the government of Pakistan has decided right now is to lay a pipeline from Gwadar to another point about 400 kilometers and join Gwadar with main gas pipeline network of Pakistan, once it is completed in three four years, it will be just a matter of few months to take that pipeline from Gwadar to Pak-Iran border so when we start working within Pakistan on that pipeline, it means that we have started working on Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline,” said the former diplomat.