“Islamabad needs to have good ties with Tehran,” says a Pakistani diplomat

“The situation in the Balochsitan province, bordering Iran warrants that Islamabad should have good working relations with Tehran as Pakistan’s important neighbor”, a senior diplomat told the daily while requesting anonymity.

The Daily Nation reported on Monday that Pakistan’s initiative to seek a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis, based on the principles of non-intervention and non-interference is being hailed as Islamabad’s careful attempt to build a broad based consensus among the members of the Muslim Ummah, while maintaining its neutrality.

  Background discussions with senior diplomats suggest that Islamabad’ stance on Syria was quite logical and its participation in international conference hosted by Iran was in line with the national security interest.

  The diplomat was of the view that Pakistan has limited options on the Syrian crisis because of the complexity of the issue; adding that Pakistan’s efforts to build a broad based consensus among important OIC members including Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia was the best available policy option.

  This follows Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts ahead of the extraordinary meeting of 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference(OIC) convened by Saudi King Abdullah in Makah (Mecca) on August 14 and15, to discuss Syria.

  President Asif Ali Zardari along with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will attend the conference on the invitation of Monarch Abdullah.

“Pakistan’s effort to keep neutrality – as it did by abstaining from US-sponsored resolution on Syria which was vetoed by Russia and China – is the best approach to prevent misunderstanding between Saudi Arabia and Iran,” said a source close to the matter.

  “Pakistan cannot ignore the important role of Iran in stabilizing Balochistan, therefore its neutrality on Syrian situation is the best policy option,” another source added.

  He elaborated that if Syria was to be destabilized as the result of a one-sided imposed solution, it would have far reaching implications for the region including Iran and Pakistan; therefore, Islamabad decided to follow a cautious diplomatic approach.

  “Syria is a complex situation, where major world powers stand divided and so are the divergent positions between the Arab League and Islamic republic of Iran, therefore Pakistan can only play a role of consensus builder rather than taking sides with any of the foreign stakeholders.”

  Sources further said that since the initiative of the Saudi King is also aimed at seeking a solution to the Syrian crisis, Pakistan’s efforts to build consensus among the members of the OIC was imperative.