ISLAMABAD – Iran has invited China and Pakistan to participate in thedevelopment of the strategic Chabahar port and extended support to theright of self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Foreign minister Javad Zarif, on a three-day visit to Islamabad, askedPakistan to take a role in developing the port in the Gulf of Oman whilespeaking on Monday at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, a thinktank backed by Pakistan’s foreign ministry.
“We offered to participate in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).We have also offered Pakistan and China to participate in Chabahar,” hesaid.
A statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office following a meeting betweenZarif and his counterpart Khawaja Asif on Monday said both sides had“reiterated support for the peaceful struggle of the peoples of Palestineand Kashmir for their right to self-determination”.
During his meeting with Zarif, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi thankedthe Iranian leadership for its “steadfast support” to the struggle of theKashmiris.
Zarif’s invitation to Pakistan to join the development of Chabahar cameless than a month after India and Iran inked an agreement to leaseoperation control of a part of the port to New Delhi for 18 months.
India is set to start operations in this part of Chabahar with borrowedIranian equipment by May-end. The port is a crucial part of India’s plansto create a transport and trade corridor to landlocked Afghanistan bybypassing Pakistan.
However, Zarif sought to allay Pakistan’s concerns about India’sinvolvement in Chabahar. He said Iran will not allow anybody to use itssoil to hurt Pakistan, just as Islamabad will not allow its soil to be usedagainst Tehran.
He compared Iran’s relations with India to Pakistan’s ties with SaudiArabia. “Our relations with India, just like Pakistan’s relations withSaudi Arabia, are not against Pakistan as we understand Pakistan’srelations with Saudi Arabia are not against Iran,” he said.
Zarif also raised the issue of cooperation between Chabahar and Gwadarports during his meetings with foreign minister Asif and National SecurityAdviser Nasser Janjua. During his meeting with Janjua on Tuesday, Zariftalked about “tapping into the potential of Gwadar and Chabahar ports” toboost economic cooperation, according to a statement from Iran’s foreignministry.