ELIMINATION OF TALEBAN HELPS IRAN PAKISTAN RELATIONS IMPROVE
By an IPS Correspondent
ISLAMABAD 30 Nov. (IPS) Though Iran and Pakistan announced Friday that they had buried the hatchet, but experts and analysts said the differences between the two Muslim neighbours over Afghanistan and other regional subjects are more serious to be buried.
In a joint press conference held in Islamabad after a meeting with General
Parviz Mosharraf, the visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi
and his Pakistan host, Mr. Abdol Sattar, said Iran and Pakistan had
agreed to work jointly for restoration of peace and stability in Afghanistan and
help with the establishment of a broad-based government in the war-ravaged
country.
However, clinching to Iran’s anti American policy, Mr. Kharrazi said that military operation against any country on mere allegations will be unacceptable, referring to American bombing of Afghanistan in search of Mr. Osama Ben Laden, the anti-Western crusader suspected by the US Administration to be behind the 11 September terrorist attacks on America.
"It will be unacceptable to us if any country attacks another on the basis of mere allegations", Mr. Kharrazi said, responding to a question on reports that US may attack Iraq or some other countries under the tag of campaign against terrorism.
He also expressed his opposition to possible bombing of Iraq by the United States, saying that there was no excuse to justify any military action against any Muslim country on mere allegations", he repeated.
But Pakistani Foreign Minister said that during discussions with Pakistan, US had made no indication or even a hint of a plan to attack Iraq or any other country or group.
Mr. Kharrazi repeated Iran’s opposition to deployment of foreign forces in Afghanistan, saying that an Afghan national army and police should be formed to take care of security and law and order in Afghanistan.
But Sattar said Pakistan would honour any decision taken by the delegates at Bonn peace talks on the question of peacekeeping force and transitional administration.
Mr. Kharrazi condemned the massacre of "Al Qa’eda" and Taleban prisoners in the Qal’eh Jangi, near Mazar Sharif, by the Northern Alliance forces assisted by US and British aviation as "unacceptable and unfortunate" saying, "it was against the Geneva conventions".
He said as prisoners of war, they should have been treated with respect as human beings and if involved in crimes, things should have been proceeded according to law.
Replying to a question about a possible Iranian co-operation with US in fight against terrorism, the Foreign Minister noted that the only understanding with US was that in case of accident or mishap their pilots land in Iran, they would be taken care of.
He said after Taleban removal, Tehran and Islamabad were in a new era of relationship.
But analysts said Pakistan’s siding with Washington makes Islamabad suspicious in the eyes of Iranian ruling clerics who consider the United States as their main enemy.
"Iran and Pakistan have to help the Afghans themselves form a broad-based government and national reconciliation along, involving various Afghan groups", Mr. Kharrazi said, noting that both countries had suffered a lot due to changing situations in Afghanistan and heavy burden of Afghan refugees for years.
Speaking on the same Iran-Pakistan relations subject, Sattar said the sun is shining for both the countries to intensify their co-operation for mutual benefit.
Earlier, Mr. Mosharraf had hoped that the two countries could remove all existing misunderstanding between them, acknowledging "there have been some hurdles in their way".
"Both countries should ponder over ways and means to expand co-operation in the economic field and trade", he said, adding Pakistan-Iran relations were based on common religious, cultural and geographic realities.
Mosharraf also said that his country endorses Iran's stance on the political future of Afghanistan and will help resolve the current crisis in the war-shattered country, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA.
"Islamabad and Tehran are required to work together for peace, security, unity and undertaking reconstruction work inside Afghanistan", he said.
He, however, maintained that both Iran and Pakistan had suffered massively from years of skirmishes in Afghanistan, particularly in terms of housing refugees for decades.
Responding to President Mosharraf, the Iranian Minister said the role of Iran and Pakistan vis-a-vis peace and security in the region was of "paramount importance" with particular reference to military and political spheres, adding that the recent changes in Pakistan's Afghan policy would help boost Tehran-Islamabad bilateral relations in future. ENDS IRAN PAKISTAN AFQANESTAN 301101