Trilateral summit
February 16, 2012
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Afghan President Hamid Karzai flew into Pakistan on Thursday to participate in a two-day counter-terrorism summit, which is being held at a key juncture in peace efforts with the Taliban and amid increasing tensions between Iran and Israel.
The foreign ministers of the three neighboring countries will meet on Friday for a formal round of discussions and will hold a joint press conference at the end of the meeting.
Shakoor Rahim, Deutsche Welle's correspondent in Islamabad, reports that the Afghan and Iranian leaders held separate talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Zardari on Thursday. The main issues that were discussed were peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, as well as Islamabad and Tehran's joint energy projects, according to Rahim.
Peace efforts in Afghanistan
The US is winding-up its operations in Afghanistan after a decade-long war against Islamist militants and NATO troops are scheduled to withdraw from war-torn Afghanistan in 2014.
Some experts are of the view that Islamabad is not ready to abort its "covert support" of the Taliban, and this is causing serious problems for Washington, which needs a respectable and safe-exit strategy for Afghanistan.
The Afghan government and the US blame some sections of the Pakistani government for supporting Taliban militants. Despite that they believe Islamabad's support is crucial for a lasting peace in war-torn Afghanistan.
Dr. Naeem Ahmed, professor of International Relations at Karachi University, told Deutsche Welle that Pakistan wanted “to see a bigger role for the Taliban in Afghanistan."
"Washington and Kabul also want to take the Taliban on board, and there are reports that they are already conducting secret talks with some of their factions, but they want to exclude Pakistan from these negotiations.” He added, “That is not going down well with Islamabad. That, in my opinion, is the biggest hurdle in US-Pakistani relations."
Energy crisis versus political repercussions
The trilateral summit also comes at a time when tensions between the United States and Iran are intense. Last Monday, US President Barack Obama imposed new sanctions on Iran's central bank in an effort put pressure on Tehran to reverse its course on its controversial nuclear program.
Both US and the European Union have imposed economic sanctions on Tehran, rejecting its claims that its nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes. Western countries believe the hardline Iranian regime is secretly building a nuclear bomb.
On Wednesday, Ahmadinejad unveiled new strides in Tehran's controversial nuclear programme that further exacerbated relations between the West and Tehran. However, a senior Pakistani official said US-Iran tensions would not dominate the summit.
Islamabad had earlier said it would move ahead with the summit and its energy projects with Tehran despite US objections. Basit also said Islamabad "opposes any new conflict in the region and calls for dialogue."
Islamabad is pressing ahead with a multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project to import fuel from Iran which is expected to be completed in 2014. The agreement was signed in 2010 despite strong opposition by the US.
"We are looking to complete the pipeline project by 2014 to meet our energy requirements. It is important for our economic growth," said Basit.
Michael Kugelman, an expert on the region at the Wilson Center in Washington, earlier told Deutsche Welle that the US does not like strengthening Iran, however, he acknowledged Pakistan's energy needs were immense.
"I can imagine that the US is not pleased, but it is important to be realistic. Pakistan is an energy insecure country. It is going to need to do what is in its best interest, and if it involves working with countries like Iran, then so be it," said Kugelman.
Regional allies
Mushahid Hussain Syed, head of the Pakistan-China Center told Deutsche Welle that the conference was "proof that the foreign policy of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran was undergoing a transformation." Syed said "these countries are forging a regional partnership, which also includes China."
On the other hand, Farooq Sulehria, Pakistani journalist and political activist based in London, told Deutsche Welle that it would be a difficult task for Pakistan to forge a partnership with Tehran.
"We must not forget that Pakistan and Iran do not have very cordial relations. Iran accuses Islamabad of creating unrest in its eastern parts by training Jundullah, a terrorist organization responsible for several bomb attacks inside Iran. Therefore, it won't be easy for Islamabad to convince Tehran that their interests are the same," said Sulehria.
Sulehria was also of the opinion that Islamabad's engagement with Tehran would not go down well with the Sunni militant groups in Pakistan and its arch-ally Saudi Arabia, which oppose the Shi'ite Iran.
"Pakistan fears that western nations might impose sanctions on its nuclear program in future. These, in my view, are precautionary measures undertaken by Islamabad to put pressure on the US," opined Sulehria.
He also believed that unlike Iran, which is rich in oil resources, Islamabad could not afford a protracted conflict with international community and ultimately it would surrender to the its pressure.
Author: Shamil Shams
Editor: Grahame Lucas