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On Sunday, Iran closed its border with Pakistan at Taftan. The decision follows a suicide bombing last week in Zahedan, which killed 25 people and left over 125 injured. The Iranian government’s decision has led to the suspension of trade in the region, causing tribes on both sides of the border to suffer food shortages.
What are the political implications of Iran’s decision to close its border?
Is this the first step towards the regional isolation of Pakistan owing to the possibility of militancy spreading beyond its borders? Are regional militant groups trying to stoke sectarian tensions (Jundullah claimed the Zahedan bombing)? Or is Pakistan getting caught up in US-Iran relations? Iran has implied that ‘interfering powers’ be held responsible for the suicide bombing and analysts are suggesting that Iran’s decision is a response to the diplomatic and military connections between Pakistan and America in the context of the war against terror.
Ahan,
Like any other country in the world, Iran’s internal problems is a reality. But an other reality is that most of the time despite their problems, our beloved country is asking for Iran’s help. In the near past, after Saudis gave cold shoulder for Pakistan’s request of extended credit limit for oil purchase, Pakistan had to request the isolated Iran for that and they helped us in this regard. Apart from it, Pakistan has recetly singed a gas pipeline project with Iran.
My friend accept the fact that we need to have good relation with Iran for our own interest. And an otber fact is that extremist religiour organization are trying to export terrorism to our neighbouring countries and that has to be stopped without anymore delay.
To Dr.Rahman from Germany
No body talks about one thing: I feel Muslims needs a massive reform. Most Muslims are living in a strange world. Their views on tolerance are backward. People and writers should be allowed to write critical books on Islam…..
Who will bell the cat? Don’t you remember Salman Rushdie or Tasleema Nasreen..well they tried but failed and they are in run for their lives..
Iran has a tonne of domestic problems as well, we saw an example in the recent elections for that. I think they should solve these issues like the Baloch movement instead of blaming Pakistan for it and closing borders. Right now we all know that Iran is a lot more isolated than Pakistan. It is a country that has been sanctioned to its eyeballs at this point, it is a fact that their GDP couldnt grow as much as it should have despite the hefty oil prices in the recent past.
To Mr. Israr,
I am pleasently and yet extremely surprised that only such thing can happen but that it is actually happening. If you do read these lines, can you please tell me where exactly is that actually happening?
I’ll be waiting for your answer anxiously.
Thankyou in advance
No body talks about one thing: I feel Muslims needs a massive reform. Most Muslims are living in a strange world. Their views on tolerance are backward. People and writers should be allowed to write critical books on Islam.
who says Iran is a friend of pakistan ?? you know there is no permanent friends but permanent interests.
we have no foreign policy no strategic policy ,no planning , no governance. so dont care about that who close its border?
its their border and its upto them if they close it or not, look inside pakistan not at the borders of pakistan.
just pray for everyone’s safety and be humble towards your neighbours and relatives because if we feel secure from our people we will do it fine, not like current situation, we fell insecure from each other. we are scared of our own people.
look at muslims in this era! they have firqaas and communities now, and we find muslims who had totally different concetps than each other, not only muslims but every religion had this effect.
I took me some time to read most of the responses. Well realistically and without over reacting to the incident, every country has a right to take appropriate actions within their own borders that suit their best intreats. As most of the participants seems to me as either Shias or Sunnis, so please keep reading this.
Some time back in one Mosque during Friday sermon, Imam who turned out to be from the other sect than the followers among the gathering revealed that the religious leaders of both sides i.e sunnis and shias in that particular region, have decided that since both the sects have so much in common mainly, the same God, the same Book, the same Kibla, the same Nabi, the same Ramadan that provides us enough ground to shun our what ever differences. It has been decided to offer the prayers in congregations in any mosques regardless of the sectarian differences. I was pleasantly surprised to see that soon after the sermon, the same Shia Imam lead the Friday prayers in a predominantly Sunni mosque and no one out of over 600 devotes raised any objection or question. Even though this has happened among muslins living as minority in that region, can this idea be promoted among other Muslim countries. Any takers ?
Pakistan has been an isolatd country for quite some time, but even in those tough periods, as has been mentioned by lots of people in their comments here, China and Iran were like a window of fresh air.
But what has Pakistan been upto since all these years and specially after the 11/09/2001 incident? Although on the face, they joined hands with the US in their so called fight against terror, but in reality, there have been lots of kidnappings and/or killings of the foreign nationals working on different projects in Pakistan namely the 11 French engineers and techniciens who were killed in a bomb blast in Karachi. There have been lots of Chinese engineers and other technical staff who regularly gets kidnapped for ransom and some of them have been killed as well. Who’s responsibility?
And now the Zahedan incident. Let’s hope that the perpetrators of this heinous crime have not found shelter in Pakistan as has been claimed by Irani authorities.
Pakistan really needs to take concrete steps to get rid of these ills which have turned into malignant cancer for the nation or else,God forbid, if we lose friends like Iran and China, then Pakistan will be in serious trouble.
not good for Pakistan
I think it is high time for Pakistan establishment to put its own house in order before it becomes too late. Iran and China were the only friends of Pakistan in the region now they both are also closing their doors to it.
Its ruling elite specially the military brass are the direct beneficiaries of the billion dollars aid its getting from the US but the innocent people specially the pukhtoons are costing heavily for it. One would highly suggest that Pakistan needs to give up the dual standard and should concenterate on the betterment of socio-economic conditions of the ordinary people. Otherwise I am afraid the day is not far when Pakistan would be completey isolated from rest of the world. Enough is enough.
Miangul Naeem
Australia
To release the notorious Hafiz Saeed — at this critical juncture of Pakistan India relationship that currently rests on a post Mumbai hair-trigger — and especially at a time when the Pakistan army itself is engaged in the life and death struggle with Saeed’s ilk internally — its precious Jawans and officers being killed daily — is the mother of all irrationalities — especially right after Zahedan.
A walking free Saeed is a walking free calamity.
Lock him up Pakistan.
Pakistan has been under lot of pressure since its inception. Our leadership has been selfish feudil land lords. They planned to keep the people poor, uneducated their bonded or unbonded servants.
UNO’s resolutions are ignored ny the strong nations and are forced upon weak country. Kashmir problem is the result of similllar attitude of the Great Powers.
With all difficulties we have made great Highways, including coastal highway. Mengla Dam, and Trebella Dam. We were able to increase the food production, steel mills, deep sea port in the Baluchistan. Most of all we are an atomic power. We are now producing Sui gas and some Oil also. Our Fish industries Chicken farms and production of milk has made significant improovement.We are making good quantities of arms to defend our country.
The biggest problem is the terrorists who want us to be comletely destroyed. After careful planning.we are fighting a foriegn war.
Pakistanies have shown a great courage that tells us, we will survive all the hard ship. We produce so much that we are self sufficient. All we need to cut travel of top leaders and cut down the number of misisters and their foriegn trips. We must put a limit so that our export is more that imports.
We should restart the scheme of BB to produce Palm oil in Pakistan and all those responsible for its failure should be punished. We should also try to plant the olive trees.
we should produce electricity on war footings. We have lot of coal that not only provide jobs to people and electricity also.
We must stop the habit of importing and filling our pockets with commissions. I will talk about healthcare and free eduction for every one to matric.
Iran has problems as does any other country, but it won’t mean that Iran has a free ticket to accuse or threaten Pakistan.
The neighbouring countries should come to realise the sincereity with which Pakistan has been handling the Terrorism menace.
Shutting Pak-Iran border is the only solution at the moment to check the likelihood of smugggled terrorism spreading to either direction of the border.
An economic loss in billions is a resultant factor which has to be suffered with patience.
I think the action taken by Iranian to close it’s border on Taftan side is purely a security matter and it has nothing to do with the relationship between the two countries. Every country has the right to protect it’s people and every nation is free to take security measures to avoid such incident which took place in Zahidan.
To NASAH,
You said, “Mr. Rigi should also be freed by the same ‘independent’ Lahore High Court – and sent home to his loved ones — instead of being extradited to Iran as demanded by the Iranian government.”
Probably, Lahore high court doesn’t have jurisdiction with regard to Mr. Rigi.
Dear Wasim Salik
I agree with you, initially the sectarian violence was the result of fight between foreign aided sectarian organizations, but afterward it was converted into the indiscriminate killings of Shias. Specially, the hundreds of shia notables, well educated and well placed people of the community were mercilessly killed. A number of suicide bombings on shia mosques and Imambargahs are on top of it. Overwhelming majority of the people killed in the above referred violence had no link what so ever with any foreign aided sectarian organization. They were killed just because they were shias and some so called ulema of our country issued fatwas that all shias are kafir and should be killed without any exception. For example former PSO chairman Shaukat Mirza, ex-GM PTV, On Mohammad, ex-Sargodha DC, and so many qualified doctors, lawyers, professors and ulema etc. who had no links at all with any sectarian organization were brutally killed just because they were shias.
Let accept and express the whole truth. Always relying on conspiracy theories, rejecting the facts and being intellectually dishonest will not solve our problems. In case we are quiet on the acts of terrorism & extremism affecting any segment of our society then we are surely part of the problem and one day that particular problem will also affect us. The same is happening in Pakistan.
Foreign hand is surely there in our problems, but as a society we should also take the blame for the mess we are in.
Certainly it is a coward action which took place in Zahedan.Who ever is involved into this henious action should dealt with iron hands. Many crimes took birth by our own lack while interrogating the criminals. so there is need of sincerity to our concerned authorities while inspecting about the wanted criminal which Islamic republic of Iran is demanding.It would be a significant factor between their brotherly relations.
Pakistan should deal with the terrorists with an irn fist in public. it too should close its borders with Afghanistan and India to control terrorism in my opinion.
As an educated Indian Muslim, I must say that for all its flaws, I much prefer India to any Muslim country. Most Muslims choose to see everything only in terms of narrow religious and sectarian points of view. But in India, we have many Hindus who see things from a very broad perspective.
Muslims need to truly understand how much more civilized a country becomes when it is not governed by religion alone. The progress a country makes in science, technology, art, music, theater and film, in political freedom and debate, in broad social exchanges – these have a value to modern life that far exceeds anything offered by religious extremism. India has been very fair to Muslims that have respected India for what it offers. As a successful Indian Muslim, I would not trade places with a Muslim in any country.
In case of Iran, i see very strange views from some Pakistanis. The decision of Iran is a wise one. If Pakistan cannot guarantee its own safety ad security, there is no point in asking Iran to bear the brunt of our shocks. Iran is a friend of Pakistan but Pakistan is actually stuck in some filthy abyssmal quagmire. A bunch of extremists have taken the whole nation hostage to their whims and supernatural Islam. Most Pakistanis are not like this. However, we must learn to speak the truth. Zia craeted secterian strife which later changed into Shia genocide. So if we are to progress ahead, we must come out of that mindset first. The black sheep in the Army, politics and the sham mrelio-political hypocrites should be purged systematically. Religious seminaries need an overhaul. Instead of research, they stockpile arms and stoke hatred. When a man does not have the logic, he becomes belligerant! I would suggest the religious magicians to come up with proper research instead of acting in fear of losing your identity.
Iran should keep the diplomatic channels open even after the borders are sealed off.
The action should not linger on longer than really needed to control the terror activity.
THIS WHOLE MESS STARTED right after the REVOLUTION in IRAN back in late seventies. Arab World saw thier Kingdoms Toppeled to the ground and then EXPLOITED by the west, they use their sources to keep the REVOLUTION of IRAN in it’s borders.Then came the Afgan Russia War, and Kashmir conflict and RISE of MULLAHs who were named MUJAHIDEEN, turned TALIBAN and on TOP of that hundreds of thousands of Refugees from Afganistan became liability, creating problems like drug, smuggling and you name it. PAKISTAN politician understood the problem but do nothing anout it. On the eastern borders, India, always loomed as a threat as well.
Iran has rightly proceeded in closing borders with Pakistan. There is so much going on with regard to clashing international interests.
Another terror-action is an attempt to defame and pressurize Pakistan.
The crime against humanity has been committed once again, but this time in Zahidan, Iran.
This barbaric act has immediately followed the Pak-Iran gas pipeline deal, and of course, the presidential election is very close as well. And, the pattern is very common, so not too surprising. Which are the interested devil organizations? The local and global public knows too well to figure that out.
But, these organized operators are beyond control, as they are capable of disrupting the peace of any country wherever and whenever and however they want.
These organizations hire and train the people for terror-activity.
The separatist movement in Balochistan might have been backed by one of these organizations in order to take Pakistani-Balochistan away from Pakistan and merge the same with Irani-Balochistan.
In simpler words the seeds for the birth of the greater Balochistan as an independent state are being sown.
This killing for economic or political reason has no sense at all, because that’s ‘the law of the jungle’.
All countries should end selfishness; and adopt the policy of fairness. This must be promoted by the UNO sincerely.
In order to bring every country to a common ground, education can play a key role.
No country should poke the nose of any other.
The spirit of competition in the real sense should only be encouraged.
If Pakistan has developed a nuclear technology, what’s the fuss about? Pakistan’s defence is stronger than ever, and there is a balance in the region now.
Why are the other powers so worried about the safety issue? The nukes are in good hands, and nobody would ever be able to capture or harm them.
In oder to highlight the safety issue there is a great deal of hue and cry going on.
Now, some Pakistani neighbours are riding a band wagon of pointing fingers.
If Americans or Indians want to help Pakistan, they can go ahead and stop the guerrilla terrorists from entering Pakistan at the border points. And, if they can’t help, then Pak Army is still capable of meeting all the challenges.
Pakistan can deal with the local trouble makers, if they are not supplied arms and ammunition by the external hidden forces.
The neighbouring countries have a moral obligation to support Pakistan at this critical hour.
“United we stand”.
Now the master mind Behind Mumbai Attack has been released and now he is free to attack India again.
It looks like Pakistan does not need peace and friendship with India.
Now its India’s responsibility to secure their citizens.
We have voted for Congress not only for secular but also security, if we dont get security then we need to throw the congress.
I am not blaming the people of Pakistan, I am blaming the goverment and Law and order.