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In an interview with IRNA, Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar said Iran and Pakistan need to develop more linkages and interconnectivity between Chabahar and Gwadar corridors.
He went on to say that the region in which Iran and Pakistan are situated is one of the first areas which are witnessing great global connectivity change.
“With the emergence of China as an economic stakeholder in the region, we need to develop more linkages and interconnectivity between Chabahar and Gwadar corridors,” he noted.
He was of the view that Pakistan is struggling to finance its portion of Iran-Pakistan (IP) project.
The politician said that sanctions against Iran should be eased out which would open another vista in Pakistan-Iran energy cooperation. “The IP has been hostage to those sanctions,” he pointed out.
“We are hoping that all the stakeholders to he Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will stick to their commitments,” viewed the lawmaker.
The parliamentarian added that on IP, Pakistan’s position has been very clear; this is in our national interest; we are neighbors, but because of the sanctions we have not been able to find any finances for the project.
The lawmaker said Pakistan and Iran have very close cultural affinity. He added that Pakistan has raised a new force to provide more security at Pak-Iran border.
He said that Pakistan’s 2,400 kilometers porous border with Afghanistan is a major source of instability in Pakistan.
He said that strategic alignments have been changing in the region, adding that Iran and Pakistan have never allowed their soils to be used against each other.
“I give you my firm commitment that no matter what the strategic alignments are, our neighborly relations will never be allowed to be used against each other,” he said.
Earlier Khusro Bakhtyar while presiding over a dialogue on 'Prospects of Pakistan-Iran Cooperation for Regional Peace and Security' at Islamabad Policy Institute (IPI) maintained that projects like Pak-Iran gas pipeline, supply of electricity from Iran, start of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement, reactivation of Pak-Iran Business Council, opening of additional international border and establishment of border markets could be tangible steps for revitalizing Pak-Iran economic relation.
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