LONDON, April 28: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said on Friday nuclear strike against Iran should never be considered and the international community should provide it “an opportunity for face saving.”

He was speaking at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) on the subject of “Pakistan’s role in promoting peace and stability” here today. He reiterated his call for efforts to seek a peaceful solution of the Iranian crisis.

Referring to reports on the possibility of a nuclear attack to eliminate Tehran’s nuclear capability, he said “ I think that should not ever be contemplated.”

Mr Kasuri cast doubts if a nuclear strike on Iran would be able to achieve the conceived objectives, adding , Iran might have already “dispersed what it had”. Secondly he said an attack on Iran would be considered an attack on yet another Muslim country.

“This will destabilize large parts of the Muslim world,” he said, adding there were Shia population in the Muslim countries.

Opposing sanctions against Iran, he said, Islamabad’s oil import bill last year soared to $6 billion registering an increase of 50 per cent. If the price of oil went up by $100 a barrel one could imagine its impact on the world’s economy including Pakistan.

He said the international community should not to undermine Tehran’s capability to hurt and give a robust response following a strike against it. If a few ships were sunk in the Straits of Hormuz by anybody, there were not enough facilities for refining oil hence it would lead to oil price hike, he added.

The minister said the current situation in Iraq had proved conclusively that had Weapons Inspector Hans Blix given more time, the situation would not have been the same there. Mr Kasuri said Pakistan was opposed to use of force against Iran because it did not want to have troubled borders with Iran.

On the multi-billion gas pipeline from Iran to India through Pakistan, Mr Kasuri said the only difference was on the cost offered by Tehran. Pakistan and India were going to offer counter-proposals, he said adding that gas pipeline from Iran was more practical.—APP