Pak- Iran Gas Pipeline Politics

By Faheem Belharvi

Despite bitter opposition from the US and warnings of economic sanctions, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinijad on 11 March 2013 officially inaugurated construction work of a delayed $7.5 billion gas pipeline. The ceremony, which the President’s office described as a ‘big event’, was held in the Iranian border city of Chabahar. Both Presidents were accompanied at the ground-breaking by delegations comprising ministers, top officials as well as representatives of several Arab states.
Pak Iran gas pipeline is one of the important historic deals of the world especially in Pak and Iran horizons. The project will bring economic prosperity and opens new avenues of relationship between both the countries. Basically, Pakistan is energy stricken country and its growing economy failed to generate revenue requirements. Hence, it is need and necessity of the time to import cheap energy from neighboring country Iran in order to meet energy requirements and lessen our debt burden. The pipeline project will prove to be as the permanent energy bailout package for our energy deficiency.

The other impacts of this project could be; opening up new avenues of economic prosperity, extends business, commerce and trade activities and enhancing cultural relations with a country that has contributed so much, to our history, languages, literature, art and architecture. Meanwhile, tourism and sports activities will also increase which ultimately brings both countries closer.
Although the pipeline project’s formal completion date is December 2014, a detailed feasibility plan is still being worked out and the source of funding is yet unclear. In July 2011, President Ahmadinejad has offered to fund construction of the 761 kilometers inside Pakistani territory. Iran declared at the time that it had laid the pipeline on its side to within 50 kilometers of Pakistan’s border. But the Iranian offer has to be taken with a good meanwhile, Iran’s economic difficulties are rapidly mounting. China’s largest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, has backed out from its earlier commitment.

In June of that year, members of the opposition benches in the Balochistan Assembly exhibited unprecedented unity and passed a resolution seeking royalty for the province in the proposed multi-billion dollar IP gas pipeline project. Further, the assembly also demanded Balochistan`s representation in the IP talks, free gas for adjacent populations, a 100 per cent job share and a major share in any royalty. It is added that, there is no constitutional or legal guarantee that royalty in any form, including security, jobs or gas, will be supplied to the people of Balochistan.

Islamabad cannot deny the fact that Balochistan represents 44 per cent of the country`s landmass and shares strategically significant coasts and border areas with the energy-rich Middle East, through Iran.

Pakistan took a firm stand on the issue. In this regard last week, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, addressing a joint press conference with her Swedish counterpart, said that Pakistan was committed to the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline. She also laid to rest any doubts that a Chinese bank’s decision to back off from funding the project would affect plans to import gas from Iran. She said: “There are multiple sources available and this is a very viable project.”

For Pakistan the IP gas pipeline project is its energy lifeline for the future as it will provide the cheapest and most suitable fuel for power generation. According to an estimate that, the gas to be supplied by Iran would help generate around 4,000MW of electricity, besides providing job opportunities in the backward areas of Baluchistan and Sindh.

Anyhow, US factor again mounted pressure on Islamabad to forego with the project, otherwise sanctions could be imposed on Pakistan. In this connection, Hillary Clinton said that the Turkmenistan pipeline was a better alternative, predictable and would avoid business with Iran and added that embarking on the construction of a Pak-Iran pipeline is in violation of the Iran Sanctions Act. She said, “We all know what the consequences of that law are.” Else the U.S shall isolate itself away from a goal that is truly important, the fight against global terrorism.

On March 7, another US Department’s spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, spoke on the subject and said: “The proposed deal will violate UN sanctions laws.” She acknowledged that Pakistan has a lot of unmet energy requirements. The US, she added, was aware of these requirements and has been “working in close partnership to find better ways” to meet these needs.But Pakistan totally rejected American stance since Iran-Pakistan pipeline project is vital to her flourishing economic and meeting future energy requirement.

Another factor which need serious attention that fast friend of Pakistan “Saudi Arabia” is not very pleased over the Pak-Iran project. The Saudi attempt to create divisions and distrust with a neighboring country is plainly insidious and deserved a response from Pakistan’s leaders — one no less firm than the one delivered to the Americans. The Saudi plan is just as unworkable as the TAPI pipeline, which the US is pushing as an alternative to the IP pipeline. TAPI would run through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. But with Afghanistan likely to be embroiled indefinitely in civil war after 2014, only a wild idealist can believe that a pipeline traversing its hostile and intractable terrain could provide secure oil supplies.

Let us hope the next elected national government would have to complete this Peace Pipeline Project with vision, will and capability to make up for the last decades and move fast to lift the society and the state to higher levels and scrupulously work for the development of the country development and welfare of the people. Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline can prove to be the starting point of a new era of peace and prosperity for the entire region. US and others opposing western countries should stop playing power politics with the developing and under developing countries in the name of nuclear proliferation . They should not forget US-India nuclear deal before yelling against Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline Project.

WESTERN MEDIA BRUITS

By Faheem Belharvi
Recent international media propagations have once again figured out Pakistan’s tribal areas as a global jihad hub consisting of thousands of foreign fighters from diverse countries. AFP reported that “Pakistan is still a major destination for radicalised Muslims bent on a life of jihad, despite hundreds of US drone strikes, the death of Osama bin Laden and the fracturing of Al-Qaeda.

There could be around 2,000 to 3,500 foreign fighters in the border areas from around 30 different countries”. It is strange that how a professional news agency floated such a report which is violative of it’s own standards of journalistic ethics. A bird’s eye view of this news report denoted that it projected a misleading opinion rather than presenting the factual position on the ground.

The propaganda was then, wittingly or unwittingly, picked up by some Pakistani media outlets and journalists without obtaining narrative of Pakistan security institutions over the issue. TTP also, hurriedly seized the opportunity to identify itself as a “global jihadist organization” by launching a video comprising of its slain western affiliates and gave an impression that TTP was actually organizing white jihadists in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

Such misinformation spread by western media is nothing new, rather just an old wine in a new bottle, as it is aimed at maligning Pakistan for nurturing terrorist training camps against coalition forces in Afghanistan and undermining its role after US-NATO withdrawal in 2014.

Recently, Afghan authorities have categorically recognized Pakistan’s importance for the country’s security after the withdrawal of coalition troops from Afghanistan. An Afghan delegation headed by Afghan Defence Minister Bismillah Khan came to Pakistan in January on a 5-day visit and showed willingness to accept Pakistan’s offer to train Afghan troops.

The defense team’s visit manifested that Afghans are finally convinced about the role of Pakistan in both countries combined endeavours to mitigate insurgency in the region. However, some hostile countries do not want Pakistan to acquire significance and a greater role in the region, therefore projecting Pakistan in clutches of foreign insurgents, to reflect that a terrorism engulfed state would not be able to help Afghanistan stand on its feet after 2014 withdrawal.

Coming to the issue of increased white jihadists in Pakistan; it would be right to say that in recent years Pakistan’s security forces’ crackdown against foreign militants has helped in reducing cross-border militant infiltration from Afghanistan to the Pakistani tribal areas. Security forces’ operations have constrained the space for foreign operatives; besides dismantling their infrastructure and hideouts.

Security officials articulated that in a number of operations against Al-Qaeda and its foreign operatives; thousands of foreign militants have been killed and hundreds of them have been apprehended. In addition, scores of foreign militants were killed in drone attacks in Pakistani tribal areas including Tahir Yuldashev, Usman Adil of Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and Mustafa Abu Yazid, Abu Laith Al Libi of Al-Qaeda, which has discouraged these operatives from advancing towards FATA. Operatives from western countries say that they are now afraid to come to Pakistan because of Pakistan military crackdown and drone strikes.

Militants seeking Jihad in Afghanistan now focus towards the sanctuaries and training camps in Afghanistan’s Nuristan and Kunar provinces. These training camps comprise of thousands of local Afghan militants and foreign operatives, who are highly motivated to thrust out their anger towards invading forces in Afghanistan.

Recent surge in attacks on US and NATO troops has made the fact quite evident. These miscreants are also involved in heinous crimes like kidnapping, extortion of money, terrorist activities and drug trafficking within Afghanistan. Sources in Afghanistan’s Ministry of Tribal and Border Affairs confided that these miscreants were launched into Pakistani territory and adjoining areas to create mistrust between Islamabad and Kabul, as friendly relations between the two do not serve the long-term objectives of regional and international players in the region.

Besides, Arab spring and conflict in North Africa also diverted the focus of foreign fighters from Pakistan towards Middle Eastern and African countries. Al-Qaeda’s foreign affiliates who once travelled to Pakistan are now joining Al-Qaeda’s affiliated groups such as Al-Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Al-Shabab and Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), for which Al-Qaeda provides them practical expertise, weapons and communication skills.

Western intelligence officials also believe that the number of Al-Qaeda operatives and its foreign affiliates in Pakistan tribal areas has fallen to the “low hundreds”, as most of them are either on the run or finding sanctuaries in Middle Eastern and African countries. Moreover, Long War Journal cited that hundreds of foreign jihadists poured into northern Mali in recent months to help armed Islamist groups. Residents of the cities of Timbuktu and Gao, Malian security officials and Islamist commanders all confirmed that there had been a huge influx of foreign fighters over the past few months.

In a scenario where focus of the global militants has been diverted away from Af-Pak region and international community is more concerned towards conflicts in Syria, Libya and Somalia; baseless reporting regarding inflow of foreign operatives into Pakistan merits no serious concern. It is a mere propaganda tactic and a sequel to international media’s sinister designs to discredit Pakistan’s role in war on terror. Pakistani security forces are extending remarkable services to reduce infiltration of foreign militants into the country’s territory. Therefore, Pakistani media and intelligentsia must be taken on board by the concerned authorities to play their role in dispelling such misperceptions.

Quaid’s Vision of One Nation and Sectarianism in Balochistan

Zaheerul Hassan

During three decades of his political life, Mohammad Ali Jinnah had believed in the possibility of Hindu-Muslim unity and was awarded with the title of “Ambassador of Hindu Muslim Unity” by prominent Hindu politicians. However, the dubious character of Indian Congress and Hindu leaders convinced him that a Muslim homeland on the subcontinent was the only way of safeguarding Muslim interests and the Muslim way of life.

He philosophized the “Two Nation Theory” with his intellectual acumen to convince British rulers of subcontinent that Hindu and Muslims are fundamentally two separate nations. Their religious, cultural, social and political values are contradictory and both the civilizations have a long history of animosity.

The above mentioned facts elucidate that Jinnah became exponent of Two Nation Theory just to prove the implacability of a single state for Hindu and Muslim civilizations. He never believed in religious and sectarian divisions.

In his first presidential address to the Pakistan’s Constituent Assembly, he made clear that all the Pakistanis; Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Muslims will be free to practice their religious beliefs in the new country. He had a vision of a state that will be Islamic in character with full respect to Hindu and Sikh temples, churches and mosques.
However, some thinkers attempt to distort Quaid’s vision of a separate nation for Muslim by misinterpreting it as a source of religious fanaticism amongst Pakistanis.

They also curse Objective Resolution – an articulation of Quaid’s vision – for creating sect and ethnicity based polarization in the Pakistani society and hold it responsible for the current state of sectarianism in the country. Yet, they omit the fact that Jinnah was a strong advocate of religious freedom and harmony. They also overlook Quaid’s notion of national integration which transcends the concept of religious discrimination, limited nationalism and racialism.

No doubt, the delay in constitution making gave India an opportunity to create confusion on the national identity of Pakistan. The nefarious Indian agenda to create divisions in Pakistan was materialized in the form of Indian intervention in East Pakistan, which is well known to the historians. Continuing the same scheme, RAW is now highly active in Sindh and Balochistan in fomenting sectarian and ethnic violence.

Recently, IG Sindh Police Fayyaz Ahmed Leghari made startling revelation that forensic investigations of sectarian killings indicate that same weapons and killing patterns are used in targeting the leaders of various sects. These facts take us to the conclusion that a third group is staging assassinations of rival sectarian parties to provoke large scale violence in Karachi. This scheme is a handiwork of a hostile agency and we should see the attacks on the Hazara Shia community in Balochistan in the light of these findings.

The rich minerals treasures of Balochistan and strategic importance of Gawadar Port are the focus of all the major powers. The various schemes of division and maps of independent Balochistan projected by strategic organisations of these powers make this fact evident. Balochistan share border with Iran and Afghanistan and the attacks on the Hazara Shias are mainly linked with their influence and the presence of hostile agencies.

The overall deteriorating situation of law and order in the province is also contributing factor for the brazen attacks of LeJ on the members of Shia sect. In fact, it is the part of strategy of Al-Qaeda, TTP and LeJ to break the social fabric of Pakistan through sectarian violence and Balochistan is feeling the heat.

The friendly Muslim countries are involved in promoting and strengthening of sectarian organizations in the country in general. Iran is backing Shia organizations and Arab states are financing Sunni sectarian groups to further their own interests. The Western countries are also providing funds to moderate religious groups as part of their strategy to counter radicalization in Pakistan. These foreign interventions are major agents of sectarianism in the country, which are eventually harming the cause of national integration.

The sectarian violence remains limited only to the members of sectarian groups and the general public in Pakistan is living in religious harmony. In fact, people never became involved in religious riots on community level. However, the sectarian violence has heightened recently and it can engulf whole population of the country, becoming the greatest security threat. The government and law enforcing agencies must take concrete steps to dismantle militant groups, enforce bans on hate speech and sectarian propaganda, and reform the madressah system in order to tackle the problem of sectarianism