Pakistan makes two bold decisions

Lately, Pakistan has made two very bold but strategic decisions, which will never be liked by regional and global super powers. These are: 1) transferring management of Gwadar port located in Balochistan to China and 2) ground breaking and initiating work on Pakistani side of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.

This ceremony was jointly performed by Pakistani and Iranian presidents. Both presidents were accompanied at the ground-breaking by delegations comprising ministers, top officials as well as representatives of several Arab states.

While Pakistanis have appreciated both the decisions, certain quarters within and outside Pakistan are extremely announced. In fact the opponents just don't want the two neighbors to enjoy amicable and mutually beneficial relationship.

Among the opponents United States is at the top and many of the countries from Arabian Peninsula are also playing the US mantra. Some of them even term ‘Iran a bigger threat as compared to Israel’. These countries are extending full support to the United States to crush Iran by imposing sanctions and continuing ban on export of its oil. Iran is among the top three largest oil producing countries.

One can understand hue and cry of India on the transfer of management control of Gwadar port to China. The reason is simple; India has invested billions of dollars on the construction of Chabahar port, rail and road links up to Central Asia via Afghanistan.

If Gwadar port becomes fully operational importance of Chabahar port would be undermined to a large extent. However, this was known to India when it initiated the project. However, developing an alternate route up to Central Asia via Afghanistan was considered a must and India was fully supported by the United States in this endeavor, at no stage India was even warned of possible sanctions.

Withdrawal of Nato combat soldiers, armaments and other sensitive equipment has started through Pakistan, which is not liked by India because no traffic is being diverted to Chabahar port.

In such a scenario involvement of Indian intelligence agencies in any sabotage activities in Pakistan can't be ruled out. Repeatedly, it has been established that the perpetrators are neither Taliban nor the members of any other militant outfits.

Those who attacked Peshawar airbase were certainly not Taliban and so were those who attacked Mehran Naval base in Karachi. Similarly, burning of houses of Christians was also an act of those who want the international community to show that minorities are not safe in Pakistan.

It is on record that parts of many Muslim countries have been axed to create countries for minorities. These groups are already busy in creating disturbances in Bangladesh.

Pakistan's enemies know well that its economic activities can only be brought to grinding halt by creating unrest and disrupting economic activities.

Completion of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline and construction of mega oil refinery at Gwadar will establish Pakistan as energy corridor.

China certainly has economic interest because using Gwadar port will reduced the distance to less than 2000km from existing around 6,000km. This will not only help in saving billions of dollars freight but also ensure security of the products being carried.

Many of the countries, including United States and India don't approve this arrangement. Pakistan will not only get access to energy supplies but will also be able to earn millions of dollars as transit fee.

On top of that Pakistan will also be able to offer efficient and cost effective transit facilities to Afghanistan, which will undermine importance of India.

Over the years and during the war on terror Pakistan has been meeting energy requirement of Nato forces. As such Afghanistan has no oil refinery and it is likely to remain dependent on Pakistan for many years to come.

 Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline ground breaking

Arrangements have been made for the ceremony that would mark the start of work on Pakistani portion of Iranian-Pakistani gas pipeline. This is over 780 kilometer long and ran into snags due to pressure from the United States and difficulties in mobilizing funds. This portion of pipeline is estimated to cost US$1.5 billion and Iran has promised to provide one-third or US$500 million. The portion of pipeline on the Iranian side has almost been completed.

Pakistani leadership is showing determination and made it clear that it would complete the venture. The country seems to be enjoying support from China and Russia on this issue as since last two years Pak-Russia relations have entered in new phase and China is Pakistan’s old dearest friend. Lately, President Zardari has said Pakistan is a sovereign country and has the right to pursue projects in national interest and does not intend to offend anyone

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will jointly inaugurate the pipeline construction work today (Monday). The ceremony will be held in the Iranian coastal city of Chabahar. Both the presidents will also sign an accord for 400,000 barrel per day capacity oil refinery to be established at Gwadar. Some of heads of states and other dignitaries also expected to attend the ceremony.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Moazzam Ahmad Khan has said,"We are not in a fix, we are very clear about it that the pipeline is in our national interest being an energy deficient country," Khan said, while hoping that the US would show "more understanding" on Pakistan's decision to go ahead with the pipeline. "Yes, we know about their concerns but hope our friends, including the US, will understand our economic compulsions," said Khan.

Brushing aside concerns and pressures of the United States, the spokesman said the whole world should realize that the project was being commissioned purely to meet economic needs of the country and was being executed by two sovereign states.

“The government is initialing this important project in view of the energy requirements. The project will bring economic prosperity, provide better opportunities to the people and help defeat militancy,” he said.

Iranian clergymen protest

against massacres of Shias in Pakistan

On Saturday, a large number of Iranian clerics and seminary teachers and students staged a demonstration in Tehran to condemn the recent bloody massacres of Shias in Pakistan.

Violence against Shia Muslims has escalated in various parts of Pakistan over the past few months. Since the beginning of 2012, hundreds of Shias have been killed in the country.

In the latest terrorist bombing targeting Shias, a suicide bomber attacked Shia Muslims as they were leaving a mosque in the Pakistani city of Karachi on March 3, killing at least 45 people.

The Iranian clerics called on the relevant international organizations to take the measures necessary to end violence against Shia Muslims in Pakistan. 

The demonstrators chanted slogans “Rise up Muslims; Pakistan is in flames,” “Any Muslim’s silence is betrayal of the Quran,” “Down with Israel,” and “Down with the United States.”   

 State Inspectorate Organization Director Mostafa Pourmohammadi delivered a speech at the demonstration in which he said, “Today, in Pakistan and other countries, women and children who are mourning and saying prayers are attacked.

Bombing attacks occur in Iraq and war rages in Syria… They also attack us, carry out assassination, and make threats to force us to back down and stop… (But) today, thanks to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Islam is going up the ladder of growth and progress, and the situation is in our favor.” 

Remember killers has no religion

Pakistanis strongly believe that the ‘imported militants’ who claim to be the true Muslims are the worst enemies of Muslims and the agents of enemies of Islam. They are adamant at killing people to plunge the country into anarchy and ultimately into the civil war. Their sole objective is to kill people.

Over the years they have been killing Shias and Sunnis to create an impression of sectarian rift, which no Pakistani is willing to accept. They have also tried linguistic divide. They collect booty and indulge in kidnapping for ransom only to collect money to buy arms. They also get funds and arms from outside.

This evening I had gone to a family friend’s house for the condolence of his grandfather. 

When I reached home two news reports virtually shattered my nerves, first a blast at a mosque in Peshawar and second burning of houses of Christians in Lahore. News reporters may give these killings and burnings any angle but it is brutal and media must say in loud and clear words that killers are not Muslims and must be punished.

According to initial report in the explosion inside a mosque in Peshawar at least five people have been killed and 29 others injured. The blast took place inside the mosque and the device was planted near the front row of the congregation and people were getting ready to pray when the blast occurred.

Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has been the site of several terrorist attacks in recent months. The city is surrounded by tribal regions where Al Qaeda and Pakistani Taliban militants are said to have hideouts.

In another incident an enraged mob torched dozens of houses located in a Christian-dominated neighborhood of Lahore. Fearing for their safety, hundreds of Christian families have fled the area.

The mob attacked the houses in Lahore, Punjab’s capital following allegations of blasphemy against a Christian man. It appeared that the man had been falsely accused of blasphemy but the police was forced to register a case to placate the mob, a local police official said.

Speaking to a private television channel, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the accused was in police custody. Sanaullah said all those involved in the arson would be arrested, adding that his government would try to rehabilitate the affected Christian families.

Rana Sanaullah is not alone, president, prime minister, chief ministers, governors and even political leaders issue such stereo type statements, and no culprit is arrested or punished. All are acquitted by honorable courts because of lack of evidence. 

Pakistan’s friends and foes

It is not a cliché but the harsh and cruel reality that Pakistan faces the most difficult time and its very existence is in danger. Many countries face external threats but their people stand united and fight to avert the worst.

Pakistan has everything but its people just can’t be termed a nation. At the best they can be termed ‘clusters of people have vested interest which are often contradictory and opposite.

Thanks to the political leadership that has the sole objective of coming into power no matter how? They want to please the external forces that are notorious for dislodging and installing regimes around the world, external powers have the sole objective of getting control over resources of these countries.

We are never tired of saying that Pakistan is rich in agriculture, minerals and even energy products. It is located on the centuries old trade corridor and it is gateway to many countries, especially energy rich central Asian countries.

It also has more than 1250km long coastline, the largest man-made irrigation system and above all country has a population of more than 200 million that not only offer a huge market but also hardworking manpower. Therefore, be it an aspiring regional power or an established super power, the first attempt is to keep the people subjugated and exploitPakistan’s agricultural and natural resources.

It is often said that the British Raj invested a lot in areas which now comprise of Pakistan, which is true but also has a selfish motive. It took away cotton, wheat and spices from subcontinent and sold its finished products here.

Though, the much talked about colonialism is said to be over but now exists in its worst form. Previously East India Company exploited the area and now there are Fortune-500 companies ripping off the people around the word, and Pakistan is one of them.

If USSR attacked Afghanistan to get access to the warm waters, now super powers are making in road from coastline and trying to reach landlocked energy rich countries. India, under the patronage of United States has built Chabahar port in Iran and also constructing road and rail links up to the Central Asian countries via Afghanistan.

While Pakistan is being threatened of dire consequences it goes ahead with Iran-Pakistan pipelines, United States is encouraging India to invest in Iran, may be it is planning 50 years down the lane when its effort to fragment Pakistan and Iran would be fruitful.

The only regret is that nations try to frustrate desires of external forces but in Pakistan there are groups which encourage or even invite external powers to get their dreams come. East Pakistan would have never become Bangladesh without the conspiracies of politicians, who initiated armed revolt there with the help of India.

Let one point be very clear that Bengalis were not traitors. They took active part in the independence movement but some of the ruthless rulers pushed them to the wall. A similar condition is also being created in Balochistan, which is fully supported by the United States.

The bottomline is instead of cursing the external powers let us find out embedded enemies who are trying to fragment Pakistan. First they divided the nation on the basis of language and are now busy is flaring up sectarian hatred. External forces are using centuries old strategy ‘divide and rule’ and all of us are falling in that trap. These external powers are not friends of Pakistan but adamant at fragmenting the country.

US War Mongering

For more than four decades people of Pakistan have been living in the conditions that can be termed worse than war. In war there is clear differentiation between friend and foe, rules of combat are decided and those violating the rules can face trial for committing war crimes. However, in this part of world various proxy wars are being fought, where funds and arms are being supplied by those who have vested interest. 

If one country is keen in possessing Pakistan’s atomic installations, other is keen in occupying its coastline. If a country is keen in taking over control of mineral resources some others are adamant at fragmenting the country to create ‘landlocked’ countries to keep those permanently dependent on them and keep on fighting proxy wars for them.

Though, many critics are still shy to accept that whatever is happening around the globe is aimed at getting control on resources from fossil oil to other natural resources and from water to right to collect booty on the movement of goods. These were the reason super powers developed colonies around the world and are still doing the same, may be in a slightly refined manner but are as brutal as they were centuries ago. 

They have no regard for human life whatsoever and those who claim to be the champions of human rights are the worst. Pakistan is not alone similar stories are also going on in Arabian Peninsula, Africa, South Asia, Central Asia etc. Pakistan remains in lime light because it is rich in food, fossil oil and minerals and above all ‘the oldest trade corridor’. Movement of energy products has further highlighted its importance.

On one side are oil and gas rich Arabian Peninsula and North Africa and on the other side are energy starved India, China, Bangladesh, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Super powers have created funds which drive prices of fossil oil and gas. As booty collectors they demand money for the safe and speedy movement of energy products. To maintain their complete control, they install and topple governments in countries that try to defy the rules. Monarchs are often hostage and this could be best understood if one looks at Saudi Arabia.

The country is the biggest producer and exporter of fossil oil. It is the biggest beneficiary of high oil price but it is only one side of the story. Every year it is buying arms worth billions of dollars, last year it had procured arms worth US$35 billion, so whatever it earned from sale of oil went to the pockets arms sellers, United States is the biggest seller of arms in the world.

Saudis are made to believe that Iran is a bigger threat as compared to Israel. This on one hand allows United States to get support to impose more stringent sanction on Iran and on the other hand keep is away from selling its oil. Iran is among the top three largest oil producing country of the world. In this endeavor UAE and Qatar have also joined the US bandwagon.

Many were reluctant to accept that United States supplies funds and arms to rebel groups but it is no longer a secret. Killing of US Ambassador in Benghazi allowed the critics to say that he was not a diplomat but spy, though much earlier the Pandora’s Box was opened in case of Raymond Davis.

It is on record that the United States keep opening one front after another to keep its arsenal factories running. Its immediate buyer are ‘power hungry politicians’ who start with ‘violation of human rights’ then demand change in regime and the dance of death continues around the globe.

Can Zardari defy US pressure?

I am among millions of Pakistanis who still believe that completing Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project will not be an easy task, especially because of the pressure from the United States. Though, the date for ground breaking ceremony has been fixed for 11th March the question is getting louder, can Pakistan defy US pressure?

According to media reports after a wait of almost two decades, the groundbreaking of $7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline has been scheduled for 11th March on the Pak-Iran border by the presidents of the two countries. The ceremony will be held at Gabd zero point on the border from where the Pakistan section of the gas pipeline starts.

The pipeline issue is likely to bring Pakistan-US ties under renewed stress as Washington has been staunchly opposing the project.

“It’s in their best interests to avoid any sanctionable activity, and we think that we provide and are providing … a better way to meet their energy needs in some of the assistance we’re providing,” deputy US State Department Spokesman Patrick Ventrell said on Wednesday.

In Tehran, President Zardari, while rejecting the US pressure, said “We deeply believe in boosting bilateral ties. The international and regional players have tried in vain to prevent expansion of Iran-Pakistan ties but the people have learnt how to act against the enemies of Islam.”

Experts seem clearly divided in two groups, one that believes that project will be completed in time and the other that says a project that has been on cards will remain an unfulfilled dream as the US has already started playing its mantra. The US is now following carrot and stick policy, rather than of dire consequences.

This change in the US strategy may have appeared because of the demand that Pakistan must be treated at par with India. It is on record that United States has agreed to provide India nuclear technology for civilian use as a reward for deserting Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline but not ready to offer the same to Pakistan.

The pressure is also mounting on the incumbent government to pull Pakistan out of proxy US war being fought in Afghanistan. Though, troops pull out has begun, there is overwhelming perception in Pakistan that a large number of combat soldiers along with armaments and other equipment would remain there in post 2014.

A positive point is that religious parties are extending support to President Zardari. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) said Pakistan should not come under US pressure for abandoning the Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline Project as it is a sovereign country and has a sovereign right to sign bilateral agreement with another country.

Despite pressure from the United States and contrary to general expectation President Zardari reached Iran on two-day visit, met Supreme Leader and President of Iran and the two sides reiterate commitment to support each other for the welfare of their people.

The commitments included: 1) to vigorously pursue the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project as well as other major projects between the two countries, 2) to take full advantage of each other`s resources and expertise and 3) to working hand in hand in overcoming the challenges resulting from the emerging situation in the region.

President Zardari proposed a free trade agreement between the two countries, easing of visa restrictions and revisiting the tariff and non-tariff trade barriers. In fact the two countries together with Turkey enjoy the potential to provide fresh impetus to the ECO that would strengthen bonds among the people and promote trade and socio-economic development in the region. Greater cooperation can help in overcoming border security.

Iranian Supreme Leader said US$7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project must go ahead despite US opposition. Accessing safe energy sources should be the first priority Pakistan as Iran is the only country that not only offers safe energy resources but also ready to help Pakistan in overcoming looming energy crisis. These include financial assistance for the construction of gas pipeline and an oil refinery at Gwadar.

While the global and regional players have been using all sorts of tactics to stop the two countries from this project, the people have learnt how to coupe up with the opponents. Iranian President Ahmadinejad said building the gas pipeline between Iran and Pakistan is a great and important event, and it serves the interest of both the nations.

Experts are of the consensus that external powers are trying their best to flare up animosity among Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan only to demolish Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline only to create justification for Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. Their best efforts are also to stop oil export from Iran to keep crude oil prices high in the global market.

While Pakistanis may appreciate the bold step of President Zadari, one of the opinions is that it is only an eye watch because the present assemblies will be dissolved shortly to ensure timely elections. Therefore, the fate of pipeline will depend on the next elected government. They ask, if the present government was serious, why it didn’t take such a step soon after coming into the power. They fear once the present government is gone the project will also go into the cold storage.