ISLAMABAD, June 7: Three former foreign ministers have urged the governments of Pakistan and Iran to reconsider their recent policies of estrangement in view of common interests of both the countries. “It was unfortunate that despite factors which dictate close friendship and cooperation between Pakistan and Iran, the past 10 or 12 years have witnessed estrangement between them”, they said in a press release issued by the Islamabad Council of World Affairs (ICWA) here on Tuesday.

With former foreign minister Agha Shahi its President, the ICWA has members, including secretary-general of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League, Senator Mushahid Hussain, former foreign secretary Tanvir Ahmed Khan, former foreign minister Abdul Sattar, and former interior minister Roedad Khan.

“Instead of mutual trust and understanding, we see mistrust and suspicions between the two brotherly countries,” the ICWA said.

Describing the negative trends in the Pak-Iran relationship as “real danger” the ICWA emphasized the need to reverse the same.

Detailing the reasons for sense of alienation between Pakistan and Iran, ICWA said an objective analysis showed both the countries bear responsibility for the negative trend in relationship.

“Several factors including the sectarian issue, their past confrontation in Afghanistan and their perceived rivalry in Central Asia based on flawed assumptions contributed to the worsening of Pakistan-Iran relations. The agencies in both the countries further aggravated the difficulties in Pakistan-Iran relations. Unfortunately, the foreign offices of the two countries failed to provide the necessary corrective,” the council said.

The think-tank said the uncalled for Pakistan-Iran confrontation in Afghanistan during the 1990s resulted in their loss of influence and non-regional powers’ military presence in Afghanistan.

In a meeting on Pakistan-Iran relations held on June 2, the ICWA formulated the following recommendations for the two governments:

— In recognition of the common strategic interests of Pakistan and Iran, the two governments should undertake frequent consultations at the highest and lower levels on important bilateral, regional and international issues to promote mutual understanding and restore mutual trust and confidence. — They should set clear guidelines relating to Pakistan-Iran relations for faithful implementation by the various ministries, departments and agencies. Above all, the two countries should strictly abide by the principle of non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. — They should engage each other in a comprehensive programme of cooperation covering political, economic, commercial, defence, scientific, technical and cultural fields.

— The Agencies of the two countries should cooperate with each other in dealing with issues of mutual interest within the approved policy parameters.

— They should cooperate with each other in dealing with the Afghanistan situation through a policy of mutual understanding and accommodation of each other’s legitimate interests in that brotherly country without prejudice to the imperative of non- interference in its internal affairs.

— Pakistan and Iran should follow complementary policies in the management of their relations with the Central Asian Republics within the framework of realistic assumptions and expectations.

— Pakistan should continue to defend Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes while stressing that it must also fulfil its obligations under the NPT.

— We should also continue to urge that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved peacefully. But Pakistan must also declare unequivocally that it would politically and diplomatically oppose resort to military means in dealing with this issue because of its destabilising effects on the region from which Pakistan cannot remain immune and because as a matter of principle Pakistan cannot remain neutral if a neighbouring brotherly country is subjected to aggression.

— Pakistan and Iran should cooperate in building up the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) as a dynamic and vibrant regional cooperation organization working for regional economic progress to the benefit of all the member states.

— Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project is in the best interest of the three countries as it would provide Iran with easy access to the fast growing markets of Pakistan and India and meet the rapidly increasing gas requirements of the latter two countries. The project needs to be evaluated on the basis of objective criteria irrespective of pressure from any quarter. The relations of Pakistan and Iran with third countries should not be at the expense of their friendship which is too valuable to be sacrificed at the alter of expediency or for the sake of short term advantages.

— Pakistan and Iran have both common and competing interests in the region. They should not allow Pakistan-Iran competition in some areas to turn into confrontation which would sooner or later damage their friendship and interests.