ISLAMABAD – In February this year, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah MahmoodQureshi received Syed Mohammad Ali Hosseini, an Iranian Ambassador toPakistan. Pakistan’s foreign minister Qureshi expressed his thoughtsthrough praising the traditionally strong ties between both the nations andshowed his consent to further strengthen collaboration in all dimensionswhich would be mutually beneficial for both Tehran and Islamabad.
As for as the historical, cultural, and religious affinities are concerned,both nations enjoy rich support of commonalities including similar views onthe foreign occupation which proved as a source of disaster for them.Besides, Iran was the first country to recognize Pakistan after itsindependence in August 1947.
As both Pakistan and Iran’s basic factor of the independence was Islam andcurrent scenario portrays a bad picture of Islamic countries which aresuffering from a cluster of problems under foreign agenda. In thisconnection, the role of Islamic nations has not been effective inaddressing issues of the Islamic Ummah. Hosseini also expressed hisgrievances over the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) by explainingthat it was not producing fruitful results for Muslim Ummah.
He further talked about the sufferings of Muslim Ummah and the maliciousplan of the United States along with Israel to subdue them.
Moreover, FM Qureshi showed consent to visit Iran for meeting with itsleadership to talk about their concerns and disputes and their possiblediplomatic solution. Moreover, during a meeting with Hosseini the Advisorto the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, toldthat the government aimed at expanding the bilateral trade with Iran. So,giving more boost to the relation of both the nations, the IranianAmbassador proposed a new bloc for addressing regional issues and promotingcooperation among themselves.
This bloc will include Russia, China, Turkey, Pakistan, and Iran becausethese nations are capable of forming such an alliance that couldeffectively handle regional issues for the better future of the region.Similarly, he expressed his consent and help for solving the Afghan problemwhich is a great hindrance to regional peace and stability along withcreating security issues for Pakistan. Iran aims at linking Pakistan’sGwadar Port with Chabahar Port of Iran via rail link which ultimatelygenerates the economic benefits for both the nations.
He dubbed the recent “Deal of the Century” proposed by American PresidentTrump for peace in the Middle East irrational and unjust which consists ofmany doubts over American-Israeli Alliance.
In this situation where the whole world is trapped with the fatal diseaseof Corona Virus, the United States which considers itself the oldestdemocracy, protector of human rights and most developed nation on earth,has imposed more sanctions on Iran.
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While UN Security Council Members and signatories of the 2015 Nuclear Dealwith Tehran namely Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany rejectedTrump’s call for sanctions on Iran. President Trump’s action portrays thathe is under stress in which he looks unable to understand repercussions andresults of the policies and actions taken by him.
While at the same time he is ignoring the traditions and values of thefounding fathers of his nation as well as he has no respect and obligationfor international rules and laws. Furthermore, the Iranian Ambassadorshowed enthusiasm for increasing and strengthening the multilateraleconomic cooperation. In this regard, Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline is animportant project and will even become more productive if it is linked withthe CPEC which not only brings the huge economic development in both Tehranand Islamabad but also the region through making it more stable anddeveloped.
This new regional bloc could prove productive through solving themulti-faceted issues faced by the countries of this region. Whereas Americahas remained unsuccessful in eliminating the problems of the region,therefore, it is the responsibility of regional states to become serious inmaking such bloc which seriously takes the vast problems towards thesolution for the development, peace, stability, and progress of theunderdeveloped nations of the region.
Besides, the Iranian President has also proposed cryptocurrency for Muslimnations for settling payment transactions as an alternative to the USdollar such as proposed by BRICS nations earlier. He further explained thatthe US always uses economic sanctions as the main tool of domineeringhegemony and bullying of other nations. As stated by Iranian President thatthere is always room for diplomacy, therefore “let’s return to justice, topeace, to law, commitment and promise and finally to the negotiating table”which is the last and effective solution for any issue. Iran’s proposal offive nations bloc portrays a rational and real picture of solving thestaggering and long-lasting problems of the region.
Furthermore, the nations which are proposed by Iran in the bloc have nohistory of worsening or spoiling the situation of the region as America hasbeen involved in generating the multiple problems throughout the region viaits policies and actions. All these five regional nations have stakes inthe region such as political, economic, social and financial. Therefore ifthe region is developed, peaceful and protected than they collectively cansecure their interests along with giving the benefits to other regionalnations as well. – Eurasiareview
BY: Irfan Mahar. **The writer is Ph.D. scholar in the Department of Defenseand Strategic Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan.*
