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Chabahar Tantrums

by Newsweek Pakistan
Courtesy India Press Information Bureau

Courtesy India Press Information Bureau

Pakistan’s overblown fears of an India-Iran economic relationship.

Opinion in Pakistan is going wacko over the Delhi-Tehran deal on Iran’s Chabahar port, which India will help develop with $500 million to facilitate its access to Afghanistan and Central Asia. Some “strategic experts” see nefarious designs in this development, and in so doing put off an important friendly state on its western border: India is encircling Pakistan by developing a threatening platform in Afghanistan with America’s help. Two incidents have made Pakistan err diplomatically: the arrest in Pakistan of an Indian RAW agent after he crossed over from Iran, and the “droning” of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mansour by America after he similarly entered Pakistan.

Add to that the media debate about how America has violated Pakistan’s sovereignty, and you have a scenario of immense possible self-damage. The fact is that neither Afghanistan nor Chabahar threatens Pakistan; what threatens Pakistan is its static India-centric strategic thinking. In the process, it is ignoring the fact that China, its most important ally, is the largest trading partner of Iran, projected to reach the bilateral turnover of $600 billion. It is also the largest single-country trading partner of the U.S. and has a growing trading relationship with India. Measure Pakistan’s fatal isolationism by considering that Indian premier Narendra Modi’s visit to Iran was as warmly welcomed as it was in Saudi Arabia. And Pakistan, where the Shia are currently protesting “genocide,” can hardly achieve that kind of balance.

Pakistan can hardly protest sovereignty when it can’t control its vast urban and mountainous territory from where terrorists have attacked inside Afghanistan and India. That it has been facilitating such forays is strengthened by the fact that Mullah Mansour carried a Pakistani passport and possibly lived in Karachi. Al Qaeda’s leader Ayman al Zawahiri too is thought to be living in Pakistan like his predecessor Osama bin Laden; and Afghan warlords Haqqani and Hekmatyar are also rumored to be hiding here. Chabahar is a port facilitating a trade corridor just like Gwadar. And Pakistan can’t complain after foolishly blocking an India-Afghan legitimate demand for such a corridor through its territory.

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9 comments

ahmed d May 24, 2016 - 9:30 pm

A port in either Gwadar or Chabahar benefits the entire region. Its about time pak and india abandoned their reservations and work towards creating an economic corridor that will lift its people from poverty. Why not both ports be developed and see double the benefit? Why not create a free trade agreement between all the countries involved with adequate security and see dubai be left in the dust?

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Kal Gandikota May 25, 2016 - 7:10 pm

As-Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu!

Alhamdulillah! Indeed, the HolyOne is most Gracious and most Merciful that he brought together three great leaders of three different nations together to take care of his entire creation by bestowing upon them and their countries his noor of blessings for unity, peace, harmony, progress and prosperity. This is a moment in deed for the whole universe to witness!

My happiness, watching the three great leaders of three different nations, was like eating juicy Baklava for the first time. Insha Allah, hope these cordial gestures mitigate fear in common masses(of not only Pakistan but also all Islamic Nations) and pave way in future for more collaboration on industrial projects, internet systems, tourism, transportation systems (bus, train, inland waterways etc.) that open up not only Iran and Afghanistan, Insha Allah, but also other neighboring nations similar to European Union.

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim! Let us all pray together and wish our Indian Muslim brothers are connected to brothers in all OIC nations with India being accepted as a member of OIC(Organization of Islamic Cooperation). At least, let us all pray together for resources, strength, wisdom and guidance to accelerate progress, peace, harmony and prosperity in Afghanistan, Iran and India.

Most of times, negotiations are dealt as give and take relationships (Trade relationships). This is true especially between two countries incompatible in some discriminatory ideologies like politics, religion, race, culture etc. Not just OIL trade, I pray to Almighty and wish all three nations encourage modern industries and technologies in all fields including agriculture (which includes fisheries). If Iran picks up lead in modern Industries (electronic/mechanical/Biotech/Robotics/Medical/metals/Garments etc.) like Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore or like other West European nations, I am sure Indians would love to travel there and work like they do in Singapore, SK, Europe, Malaysia or other Middle-Eastern countries. (For instance, in some Middle-East(even those torn by wars), South-East Asian & European countries smaller in size than Iran, there are more number of high-tech Indian citizens (even engineers) working for their progress than Iran….then why not Iran?) Hence I wish all three nations encourage modern industries and technologies.

My comment is from my own experience and research. I wish I too get paid well and the rule-of-law, my lifestyle and benefits living in India, Iran or Afghanistan are also like those in developed nations of the world (unemployment benefits, disability benefits, senior citizen benefits or many other social benefits like in Switzerland, USA and other developed nations). Though I am a jobless-abused-familyless-helpless disabled man, SubhanAllah, I’m able to watch this encouraging program from few thousand miles away in a different time-zone and write this comment because I have a high-speed internet connection though I do not have an expensive TV connection. Indeed, I tell you the truth, every single wholehearted efforts & learnings (not just by heart learnings) by every leader (every student, everybody including yourself) ultimately saves lives across India (world) even if our learnings cannot save our own lives or help us survive… Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un!

If one does not have time or money, there are good resources on internet to educate oneself. I pray to HolyOne(Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem) and wish, a day dawns when one doesn’t need pay high tuition fees or travel across Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan or India or elsewhere in the world(UK, Ukraine, USA, Australia etc.) to study if one has no money to study sciences, religion, business, law, politics, technologies, sociology, psychology, philosophy, medicine etc. Just a computer and internet connection will do. Also, Girl-children who are under several restrictions by their traditional-parents could get educated from their own homes under supervision of their traditional parents.

I apologize for saying anything inconvenient. Majority of people in the world reason though they may be afraid to express themselves in public. The modern world) is faced with many grave challenges like poverty, malnutrition, pollution, corruption, dirty politics, extortions, suicides, parasitic economies, prostitutes/concubines and their cuckolding, religiously-enforced-no-choice pregnancies, teen-marriages/pregnancies, divorces, gender inequalities(including LGBT), misguided proselytizations/religious terrorism, adverse climate changes and Global warming. Let us all humbly meditate and introspect

“Do we, even now in 21st century, fight amongst ourselves and try tearing Mother Earth apart or we now vow to stitch a new garment of Peace for her?”

Please kindly forgive me if I said anything incorrect and wrong or hurt anyone’s feelings! I am open to criticisms, corrections and feedback. Also due to time constraints, please kindly forgive my Indlish mistakes too! I will correct my Indlish mistakes as time permits!

Jazakum Allahu Khair!
Khoda Hafiz!

Satyameva Jayathe,
Kal Gandikota
Note: I am not paid to comment and not seeking favors. I made this comment so I get replies from fellow viewers to educate myself. I am not affiliated with any political party, religion, media, NGO, Government institution, business, nationality etc. Hence if anyone uses this comment for making their decisions, I am not responsible for any failures incurred. Before my comment disappears, copy To whom it may concern!

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ibs May 25, 2016 - 10:31 pm

The reservations are correct. India is trying to undermine the Pakistan-China alliance. You are wrong to state that India and China are ‘warming’ up. They’re not. They’re foes. The US has a strange love-hate relationship with China where China is the largest trading partner for the US and vice versa, yet they keep undermining each other.

The fact of the matter is that Chahbahar isn’t going to be significant because Afghanistan is a joke. There is not government or rule of law there. China is an emerging powerhouse and both Pakistan and China will benefit from this game while India can keep trying to hit Pakistan below the belt.

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Shiraz Durrani May 26, 2016 - 1:41 am

india was asking path since 2002.iran grabbed the oppurtunity.

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Shab May 26, 2016 - 7:09 pm

India & Pak should work for mutual prosperity.

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bintan May 31, 2016 - 8:45 pm

Sorry India does not trust Pak. What can Pak offer other than jihadis.

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Waqas May 27, 2016 - 3:05 pm

Modi went to us Saudi Arabia and UAE to beg for money to invest against Pakistan in chabhar

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bintan May 31, 2016 - 8:50 pm

Well there is difference between investment and begging. Modi went to those countries to attract investments whereas you go to those countries to beg. In investments you have to give dividends even pay back but not in begging. By the way have you returned the money to KSA that you got from them in economic crisis?

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Shiraz Durrani May 27, 2016 - 6:08 pm

gwadar is a military port,while charbahar is commercial.why ksa and uae is to inves in charbahar.hahaha

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