THIS is with reference to the report ‘Counterstrike on militant hideouts in Iran evens score’ (Jan 19). The whole region must have heaved a sigh of relief as the crossborder military operations by Pakistan and Iran ended as quickly as they had started.

While it lasted, the skirmish took me back to my childhood days when, as children, we would sometimes quarrel and then some elder would intervene to sort things out. And, of course, at age 85, I am the elder one now, and know what it feels like when one sees children picking up unnecessary fights.

My first reaction was that both the countries had been naughty, though Iran was definitely the naughtier one, which had initiated the episode. The obvious thing to do in the scenarion was to use the diplomatic channels available to resolve whatever the matter was.

However, I do feel that there may have been frustration both in Pakistan and Iran that the other country was perhaps not taking its complaints seriously enough regarding crossborder attacks

launched by militants based in the other country. By having manifested their anger in a more pronounced manner, the both countries might be feeling a lot better now.

Perhaps now, their complaints will be taken up seriously, and some mechanism will be developed to deal with the matter appropriately. If that happens, the recent incidents would not be remembered as such a bad thing because it would have prevented worse things from happening in the future.

I feel both Pakistan and Iran should join hands and persuade/pressure the government in Afghanistan to keep its militants under control and not to let them create violence elsewhere. In fact, the three countries may develop a joint task force to deal with such matters. This would help them all.

Our relations with Iran go back centuries. The Shah of Iran was the first head of state to visit the country. I also vaguely remember that Pakistan had ordered fighter jets for its air force for which it had to wait for some years, but the Shah had diverted to us the jets that had been ordered by Iran earlier and which were ready for delivery.

In fact, our relations with Iran have been excellent all along, with the country strongly supporting us on various regional and international issues. With both Pakistan and Iran having given vent to their anger, the two countries should now be able to plan ahead without letting the past baggage come in the way.

Pakistan and Iran, being two major Muslim-majority countries, must join hands to unite the larger Muslim world. It is a shame that at a time when Israel is continuing to kill hundreds of Palestinians every day for the last more than 100 days with absolute impunity, countries in the Muslim-majority world are fighting among themselves. What can be worse?

S.R.H. Hashmi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2024