Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi ended his four-day, three–city visit to Pakistan with the shadow of the USA not entirely removed from the relationship between the two neighbours. Though Iran has said it has completed work on its gas pipeline to Pakistan, Pakistan has not, and Iran has threatened to impose the penalties provided in the agreement. Pakistan has pleaded that it does not want to have US sanctions imposed on it. Pakistan continues to court the USA, and avoid its ire, while Iran has challenged it for years. While the joint statement said there had been an agreement on the pipeline, the absence of details indicated that there had not been any substantial agreement. This split on the USA has had strong regional implications. Iran has grown closer to Russia and China, and drawn away from India. It is not that Pakistan is opposed to Russia or China, or friendly to India, but the big difference in the relationship is the USA. Another point where Iran opposes the USA is Israel. Again, Pakistan is not on the USA’s side in this, though it is not actively anti-Israel. Iran is engaged in a confrontation with Israel, which has led to the exchange of missiles, but the fears of a general expansion of the Gaza conflict have not yet taken place.
One of the areas the two countries are focusing on is trade, and a Free Trade Agreement has been pending. It has still not been agreed, but its absence is shown up by the smuggling which goes on both sides. An FTA would go a long way to providing a legal outlet for what is clearly pent-up demand. It would also help in the management of the border between the two countries.
Border management was also an issue that was discussed. Both countries, in neighbouring provinces, share a common problem, Baloch separatism. So far, the separatists are not coordinating, but that is no reason why the two governments should not.
This was the issue which led to both countries bombarding each other, going after the safe havens of ‘their’ separatists on the other side of the border. This visit should have helped convince the two that the problems of one country are equally the other’s, and they must be solved if both are to realize their true potential.
