Iran was the first to recognize Pakistan as an independent nation after the British left in 1947. Pakistan was the first to recognize the new regime after the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. Needless to say, the two countries should have been the best of buds, when it comes to IR atleast. Pakistan even had a vital role in helping Iran with their failed Nuclear program.
The clandestine transfer of nuclear technology to our neighbors to the west was one of the most sensitive issues that came to the fore as a result of Pak-Iran relations. If it was not for a certain american virus, Iran would now be a Nuclear power and lend more political and strategic strength to the Muslim world.
However, there are a lot of complexities when it comes to relations between Iran and Pakistan, much like most of the Islamic world in general.
Why are Iran-Pak relations so complex?
These issues involve the relations of the countries involved with other nations, notably the US and Saudi Arabia. The issue of middle-eastern conflicts has seeped into relations of those countries with most of the countries that are not even involved.
This sort of proxy conflict has been the main cause for why it has been so hard for most of the Islamic world to come together to present a united front. If you consider the religious, cultural, linguistic and geographical stand-points of the countries involved, it is baffling that this bloc has not been of any notable influence on the global sphere as a single front.
However, when you dive into the history and the nuances of the relations between these parties it makes sense that things are as difficult to untangle as they are right now.
In this article we will take a look at the state of Pak-Iran relations in the context of the IR dilemma in the middle-east and the world in general.
Early Days of Iran-Pak friendship
To begin with, Iran and Pakistan have had cordial relations despite the Shia-Sunni divisions that have plagued Iran’s relations with most of the middle east. The foundations for these postive relations were laid with the shared fear of soviet aggression during the cold-war as Afghanistan (neighboring both Iran and Pakistan) was invaded by the Russians.
Unfortunately, the OIC and Pak Iran relations have suffered as a result of the “middle-eastern” cold war that has been raging between Iran and Saudi Arabia for years now. But before that, let us look at the history of the IR situation in the region and what could possibly have been.
The middle-east and Pakistan had been discussing the idea of forming a united bloc since the 50s when Pakistan emerged as a non-Arab Muslim state that was based on the idea of a united Muslim nation. This came under threat after the soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Alarmed at this, pressures were increased to form a bloc of Muslim nations that would protect each other’s interests from foreign nations bent on expansion.
This was then. But things would soon get much more complicated.
OIC’s formation and consequent failure
In 1969 an arson attack was carried out by an Israeli on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Al-Quds, one of Islam’s holiest sites, and this proved the final push to form a bloc of Muslim nations formally coming together. Not a month later, in September of 1969, the OIC was formed.
This was to protect the interests of the Islamic world and work to improve the conditions of the Muslim countries in general.
Fourty years on, things could not be much worse.
OIC members account for almost a quarter of the total human population, and yet only represents two percent of the global GDP. A quarter of OIC population does not have access to healthcare. None of these nations are in the top of the Human Developmental Index. They produce only 500 PhDs each year as compared to 3,000 in India and 5,000 in the United Kingdom. None of their educational or research institutions or centres of excellence find place in the top 100 in the world.
So what happened? The Pak-Iran relations are actually a good example of how the Muslim world became fragmented and could not present a united front for global problems.
The breakup of Pakistan’s two wings, the invasion of Lebanon by Israel, the Iran-Iraq war, and the US invasion of Iraq have been immense calamities for the Muslim world and the OIC could do nothing but be a helpless spectator. There were complexities at play that prevented the OIC from becoming potent for any of these problems.
Middle Eastern Cold War
American relations with Saudi Arabia have thrown them into conflict with a China and (now) Russian aligned Iran. This was the result of the larger cold war that went on between the East and the West around that time and then this was further amplified by the Shia-Sunni troubles that already existed between the two.
Pakistan found itself in the unique position of being on amicable terms with both parties. Pakistan tried to serve as a third party for the two to come to terms. Unfortunately, the side effect has been that both countries found themselves distancing themselves from Pakistan as a result. Saudi Arab has been and has been providing Pakistan with financial aid (so has the US) leaving Pakistan unable to be a neutral third-party when it came to Iran.
For Iran, India’s nuclear tests became a source of concern whereas Pakistan’s nuclear tests in May 1998 were hailed. Iran perceived that India’s nuclear tests would enhance its stature and its ‘orbit of influence’ would increase.
Clearly, Pakistan would like to keep Iran on its side and not have a situation where it is sandwiched between two difficult neighbours – Iran and India. This made the situation tougher for both nations and until the war on terror shifter attention towards Afghanistan, India was the main cause of concern for Iran and Iranian hegemony to the east.
The current conflicts in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and the Caucasus have strained relations even more with Iran and Saudi Arabia having sides in all of these conflicts. This was accentuated by the attack on Aramco assets by Irani forces (explicit and implicit) that has led to the deterioration of relations between the two.
It is hoped that Pakistan and Iran can understand the strategic and political consequences of improved relations going forward and that Saudi Iran relations can cool down as a result.
