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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.
I think it’s a good step not only for Iran but for Pakistan as well. I reckon all the borders esp. Afghan/Pakistan border should be sealed tightly so that no terrorist can enter or lease the country.
The US’ own officials say they are funding Jundullah, to cause trouble in Iran. Why is Pakistan allowing the terrorist group to be based in Pakistan. Pakistan has strategic ties to Iran. Longer term the US will walk away from Pakistan once having primed India to the job. Pakistan’s long term politic, economic, military interests are regional, China, Iraq, Russai, Central Asia. US and India are on the opposite side. Pakistan should do what the Indians did in the US, send nationals to the next global superpower – China.
In some convoluted way, it may in fact be good for Pakistan and the world, if the borders are sealed temporarily. With sealed borders, it might be just easy to choke the terrorists and drive them out of business once and for all.
Dear Friends
If there exists a problem finding solution would not be easy, but first and foremost we need to get out of stupor and agree that a problem exists. Get out of the denial mode. Just understand the following:
1) Hindu India says that Pakistan is the source of terrorism in India. It took Pakistan almost 45 days before they agreed to the involvement of Pakistani’s in Bombay attack
2) Islamic Afganistan has been saying the same thing and US is raining missiles to take out high value targets in Pakistan
3) Islamic Iran is now closing the border with Pakistan to stop terrorists infiltrating into their country
4)Christian UK says that 75% of the terror cases in UK have Pakistani hand in it
5) Best friend USA says that pakistan is the most dangerous place in the world.
Please wake up and clean your house and be part of the global village. The danger to Pakistan lies within Pakistan not on its eastern / western or northern border
I don’t understand why you people don’t recognize the fact that people in ISI and Army supports terrorism….now Iran has also showed you that pakistan is supporting terror and you are saying that US has something to do…Its a well known fact first Afganistan, then India,then China and now Iran are saying the same thing… why everybody blames you? there might be some truth in it…..come on at least once have a look at it and dont runaway from it!
In terms of Pakistan’s strategic interests, US is certainly not one of the most reliable partners. Iran, albeit its economic weaknesses, will stand by Pakistan. However, the policy makers in Islamabad should have reviewed the extent to which Pakistan should have gone for the US demands and the moral and economic price that it has paid! More critically, is this the best time for the country to indulge in another mis-adventure? I guess not !
Conclusion: People with big brains are not necessarily the ones sitting in the grand buildings at the end of the constitution avenue….It really pays for a nation to raise the children with the moral values and discipline, which coupled with a decent education system, copes them with skills to have the foresight and courage to make the right decisions.
It simply means that Iranian government does not trust Pakistan border guards – at least their capability of preventing infiltration in Iran. Whether it means isolation of Pakistan or not, surely Iran now adds in the list of its neghbours (like India and Afghanistan) who feel uneasy about role of its security agencies.
Pakistan need to make a choice, whether it wants to be like Mexico – not competing with larger neighbours it just can’t anyway – and not harassing equal or smaller ones, OR be like North Korea with only one friend – China.
I don’t think Pakistan Government has any idea of how to maintain Law & Order. Their failure has prompted a fast growth of anti-government feeling, resulting in manipulation of ordinary people by fanatics and growth of militancy.
Iran has started the process of containment of militancy from west, America is doing it from north. Time is not far that China from east and India from south will follow them.
With so much internal dissent and a covert war of big powers being played on pakistan soil, the time is fast nearing when 1971 may visit again.
I think whatever happened in Iran was a gloomy event.Iran being a brotherly country has always extended help to us whenever we were in dire need.Incidents like this are undermining our brotherly relations with Iran.We can change friends but we can’t change our neighbours. Being from Pakistan today seems like stigma for every country and they look down upon us.
Why our society has been so violent that we dictate this violence into other peaceful socities too? We need serious efforts to restore peace in our society otherwise it’s not a good omen for our future. By siding with America we are annoying lots of our best friends. A few corrupt technocrats in establishment are playing havoc with the destiny of whole nation just for monetary gains that can satisfy their scounderal conscience.
Already we are blessed with lots of economic problems. Joblessness ,price hike and load shedding are few examples. People across the country are fed up of their life,that what sort of country is this where people are butchered with knives by fanatics and destroyed through wrong policies by the corrupt establishment.A country with no electricity in this century ,where 18hour long load shedding is a daily routine is shameful. Interestingly one of my Indian friend was telling me yar everytime you talk of loadshedding what is this? According to him during his 26 years life in Indian Gujrat there was neither a signle day loadshedding, only one day that was tripping.Our dull politicians with their rhetoric are playing with people’s lives hoarding money into their accounts.
Iran recently offered a 100megawatt free electricity to Gwadar which was laudable but still we did n’t respond to them in a way which we must have to.A strong revolt is developing in society one against these monopolist feudal society and islamic fanatics which looted the whole society.Every country across the world is signing energy deals to give relief to their countrymen but we make agreements for just news and to fool the common people.
Closure of Iran border with pakistan is iran’s extreme anger,as they are a sovereign country and they do their decision on their own.Whatever their interest suit they will do it,not like us killing our own people for few dollars and giving licence to American airforce to kill our people by drones.The day we grow a spine nobody would close their borders for us and everybody would happily accept us and respect us which is not the case right now unfortunately.
Where it suggest the regional isolation of pakistan one cannot be sure at this juncture.But as long as militant organisations irrespective of their aims or grievences are live and kicking one shouldnot expect good neighbourly relations with any countries with whom pakistan share its border.
Closure of Iranian border with Pakistan can be viewed in terms of many aspects which led to such implication. One of the foremost things in this context is Pak-US relations due to which Pakistan is yet unable to be in complete diplomatic cooperation with Iran for the reason that there has been a gap of ideological diplomacy between the US & Iran owing to which it is not acceptable for US to let Pakistan accommodate adequate platform for strategic cooperation with Iran because Iran has been continuously backing up Shiite mindset Mehdi army in Iraq against US led coalition forces for a long period of time.
This closure, however, can also be analyzed in another way which is quite probable as intelligence agencies of Iran wants to make their focus point by originating anti sentiments against Pak-US relations while seeing Pakistan as a possible host for another US led invasion on likely-to-be nuclear armed Iran & perhaps they want to assure a sense of hostility in the adjoining province of Boluchistan. Moreover, one thing cannot be waived that Iran has its own interests which neither favor Pakistan nor any other conventional means due to which Iran’s possible association with Pakistan’s archrival India can also be taken into the account as an attempt to isolate Pakistan.
The timings of this attack is perfect. On one hand Pakistan & Iran conclude their Gas pipeline and then this bombing when Pakistani forces are fighting against militants in the NWFP.This is done by the forces who don’t want to see Pakistan stabilize in any way .Iran should understand this at this critical point and help Pakistan not isolate it.
Warning Pakistan that Iran has means and capability to hunt down its enemies inside Pakistan is an abject humiliation. It only manfiests the fact that Pakistan is fast losing its credibility as a nation state. Are all our neighbors wrong? India, Afghanistan, now China and Iran?
I think Pakistan should have strong relationship with Iran regardless of western concerns. Iran is more closer to help Pakistan than the Western region.
Pakistan must arrest members of terrorist group Jundallah.
It’s really sad that after India, Afghanistan, China, now Iran has also started to complain about infiltration of militants from Pakistan !
It really is very sad as Iran has been with us through thick & thin. How difficult it would be for the people who want to go to Iran for religious purposes? Iran is regional power it has the courage to stand up against brutalities committed against its innocent people at any level and in any manner come what may. We already have our hands full of problems. Opening another chapter of problems is what we don’t want. It is strongly recommended the our Govt must issue a strong condemnation of Jundullah group and take sincere efforts not to put control on this group but to eliminate it completely the less trash we have the better!
Running away from the elements who are spreading terror in the region is not an option; to face them and cut their roots is the best alternative. If the main cause of Iran’s sealing its boarder is militancy from across the border, it’s unbelievable that Islamic Rebublic of Iran will act cowardly like this. There must be some differences or concerns over the Pakistan & America’s relation, but Pakistan shouldn’t have any difference with Iran in any matter.
This decision is very unfortunate.The iranian government should show forbearance in this regard as already many malicious powers are trying to sideline or isolate pakistan.
they are using their wellproven method of inciting religious hatred among the muslims which they effectively used in Iraq to subdue the resistance.This will furher weaken the cause of this troubled nuclear nation.
Closure of Iranian border was, I feel, the only choice left with the Iranian Govt as they do not want that failure of Pakistani Govt to tackle militancy should effect her citizens. Baloch national moments and the BLA menace also claims that The Greater Balochistan should include some part of Iran as well, so that may also be a contributing factor. moreover, confusing policies of the Pakistan Govt and its love for America is the definite reason. Life along the border will suffer as residents of Balochistan, who live in those border areas are dependent on iran for most of their logistic needs.
I understand that this is a temporary closure of the border .Howeve we have been given food for thought about the repercussions of its closure.Thefore at the moment we should not express our fears to invite more difficulties.We need to identify our friends
obviously Tehran is careful, it doesn’t want to see Taliban with their strong anti Shia stand to get anywhere near their soil.
The decision of closing the border was pretty much anticipated thanks to the incomrprehensible unwillingness of Pakistani state to contain rising militancy, the forces that are bent upon destabilizing the Iranian state. The irony is that supposedly foresighted analysts of this country barely spare any serious thoughts regarding the vulnerability of the relationship these two countries have. They must understand that the precarious process of isolation will start from the Iranian decision of closing its borders with Pakistan. It is ominous indeed. However, what is unfortunate – and deeply unfortunate, is that we as a nation have become dangerously insecure. We regard every single country our enemy. And far from admitting that militants have their sancturies in this land, we just blame others for all the wrong happens.
No doubt Pakistan neighbours are more important for pakistan than a world power( not super power,American is no more super power).Iran is the only country that come for rescue of Pakistan during 1971 war.In this change scenario of world pakistan should change its foreign policy and look for other world powers that also are our neigbhours.Chian and Russia are more important because they are our neighbours.
The perception in the rest of the world is that the Pak govt and army are not fully serious about rooting out the terrorists. All over the world, the perception exists that most of the terrorists were created by the ISI by means of funding and training.When India was protesting about such incidents for the last few decades, the world was silent. A minor incident in Iran and see their reaction.
It is high time for the UN to send a peace keeping force as the Pak army and ISI cannot be trusted. It will be good for Pakistan in the long run as the overall economy will grow. Some generals will lose economically but the rest of Pakistan will prosper.
It is high time Afghanistan and india also seal their borders and end all diplomatic links till an UN peace keeping force is deployed to end the battle.
This is shampeful act of Iran. It is almost pointing fingure to Pakistan and has its determental effect over the region