LAHORE: Former ambassador to Iran Javid Husain says the mentioning of Kashmir as an international dispute in the Pakistan-Iran joint declaration on the conclusion of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit shows that Tehran is not as much under influence of New Delhi as is being propagated in Pakistan.

He was speaking at a dialogue on Pakistan-Iran Future Relations: New Geostrategic & Geo-economic situation organised at a local hotel here on Sunday.

Recalling that Iran had extended help to Pakistan during 1965 and 1971 wars, he said, Tehran got developed Chahbahar seaport with the help of India after exhausting all other options. He believed that Chahbahar would prove to be complementary to the Gwadar port operations instead of becoming the latter’s competitor.

Mr Husain said the relations between the two countries had got sour because of proxy wars in Afghanistan and urged Islamabad to take Tehran along in finding a peaceful solution to the burning Afghan crisis.

About the Pak-Iran barter trade committee formed during Prime Minister Khan’s visit, the ex-envoy said he was not much hopeful about a worthwhile increase in trade volume through this system because of the complications involved.

He asserted that both the neighbouring Muslim countries would have to be on the same page vis-à-vis Afghan peace for the security and economic welfare of both the states.

Muhammad Mehdi, PML-N leader and chairman of Soch Forum, said relations with Iran should not be seen in sectarian perspective. He said Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry was not of sectarian nature but political as Iraqi Shia leader Muqtad al-Sadr’s first foreign visit after winning elections was of Riyadh where he met the crown province who also promised financial help for the war-torn country.

Punjab University Pakistan Study Centre’s Prof Dr Amjad Magsi recalled that during 2002 stand-off between Pakistan and India, Tehran had assured Islamabad that there would be no problem on the Pak-Iran border and the former could focus its energies and forces on the eastern borders.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2019