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The Iranian threat: How can Pakistan safeguard its interests?
Global Village Space |
Saleem Akhtar Malik |
Pakistan’s northwestern and southwestern borders are no longer inert. We are well aware of the security environment along the Durand Line. However, the threat from Iran is rather underrated. In 2003, the president of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, visited India as the chief guest for India’s Republic Day parade. During the visit, he and the Indian prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, signed the New Delhi Declaration, which became the basis of a strategic relationship between the two countries. Two months later, Iranian and Indian warships conducted joint naval exercises (Hathaway, 2014). According to the declaration:
Indian access to the Iranian ports and military bases will present Pakistan with the threat of a two-front war.
The extent to which Iran would extend cooperation to India during such a conflict is known in Pakistan. India is also using border areas of Afghanistan and Iran as staging areas for launching covert operations against Pakistan. Since the 1990s, India has tried to outflank Pakistan and open up a route to Afghanistan and Central Asia. The port of Chabahar, next to Gwadar, is central to India’s intentions. India and Iran agreed to develop Chabahar in 2003 but the venture moved slowly because of the sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program.
The sanctions having been lifted, development of Chabahar will pick up pace. India thinks that its presence in Chabahar will neutralize the Chinese presence in nearby Gwadar. To this end, India and Iran, along with Russia, have talked about creating a Russo-Iranian- Indian transport corridor. Indian access to the Iranian ports and military bases will present Pakistan with the threat of a two-front war. Not only Iran but also the other Gulf states, particularly UAE, consider the development of Gwadar port and the projected China–Pakistan Economic Corridor as a threat to their economies. They, along with India, are supporting various separatist Baloch groups that have sprouted along the coastal belt of Balochistan during the last decade.
To squarely face the challenges highlighted above, Pakistan needs to take the following measures:
Civil dimension
Pakistan must establish diplomatic relations with Israel to:
The Iranian threat: How can Pakistan safeguard its interests?
Global Village Space |
Saleem Akhtar Malik |
Pakistan’s northwestern and southwestern borders are no longer inert. We are well aware of the security environment along the Durand Line. However, the threat from Iran is rather underrated. In 2003, the president of Iran, Mohammad Khatami, visited India as the chief guest for India’s Republic Day parade. During the visit, he and the Indian prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, signed the New Delhi Declaration, which became the basis of a strategic relationship between the two countries. Two months later, Iranian and Indian warships conducted joint naval exercises (Hathaway, 2014). According to the declaration:
- Indian arms sales to Iran were discussed.
- India agreed to help train Iranian military personnel.
- India would help Iran maintain its MIG-29 fighter aircraft.
- New Delhi will have the right to use Iranian military bases for combat operations against Pakistan should another Indo-Pakistan war break out.
- India also agreed to assist in the development of Iranian port facilities and with the construction of road and rail links with Iran.
Indian access to the Iranian ports and military bases will present Pakistan with the threat of a two-front war.
The extent to which Iran would extend cooperation to India during such a conflict is known in Pakistan. India is also using border areas of Afghanistan and Iran as staging areas for launching covert operations against Pakistan. Since the 1990s, India has tried to outflank Pakistan and open up a route to Afghanistan and Central Asia. The port of Chabahar, next to Gwadar, is central to India’s intentions. India and Iran agreed to develop Chabahar in 2003 but the venture moved slowly because of the sanctions over Iran’s nuclear program.
The sanctions having been lifted, development of Chabahar will pick up pace. India thinks that its presence in Chabahar will neutralize the Chinese presence in nearby Gwadar. To this end, India and Iran, along with Russia, have talked about creating a Russo-Iranian- Indian transport corridor. Indian access to the Iranian ports and military bases will present Pakistan with the threat of a two-front war. Not only Iran but also the other Gulf states, particularly UAE, consider the development of Gwadar port and the projected China–Pakistan Economic Corridor as a threat to their economies. They, along with India, are supporting various separatist Baloch groups that have sprouted along the coastal belt of Balochistan during the last decade.
To squarely face the challenges highlighted above, Pakistan needs to take the following measures:
Civil dimension
Pakistan must establish diplomatic relations with Israel to:
- Dilute the Indo-Israeli strategic relationship.
- Counterbalance the Indo-Iranian strategic relationship.
The Iranian threat: How can Pakistan safeguard its interests?
,talk about a ridiculously paranoid
and completely out of date article[2003],its pretty obvious that in the 14 years since then india has decided to cosy up to the usraelis/nato big time,its relationship with iran these days is purely economic and virtually nothing more and even thats having problems at the moment.Now as for pakistan establishing relations with israel,what would that achieve?,well not much, it certainly wouldnt "dilute" any india-israel relationship for pretty obvious reasons as india just has far more to offer than pakistan nor would it counter balance any india-iran "strategic" relationship for the simple fact that there isnt one,certainly not these days anyway,tho it would probably further alienate iran which would be a stupid thing to do.The smart thing for pakistan would be to improve and expand its relations with iran,hell maybe pakistan might even be able to go so far as to get its sh!t together and actually build its section of the ip pipeline as that would likely achieve far,far more for pakistan both politically and economically than trying to cozy up to israel like india has.
