Pipeline draws Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan closer
24 Mar 2012
Though, the Iran-Pakistan Pipeline (IP) may have become a tool for Pakistan to gain political mileage, with the US, which is working hard to thwart it covertly or overtly, it cannot be denied that Pakistan's future energy security may depend on the project.
Pakistan's political leaders across the political divide are urging the government not to buckle under US pressure to drop the pipeline plans to help contain Iran, Pakistan's neighbour.
Earlier this Wednesday, Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, governor of the Balochistan Province, the country's largest province and the future host of the Pakistani part of the pipeline, slammed the west over its stance, even going to the extent of openly discounting concerns over Iran becoming a nuclear weapons power.
In a similar vein, Pakistani defence minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar vowed to carry on forging closer ties with Tehran and pushing ahead with laying the pipeline in the shortest possible time.
The two were not voicing fringe sentiments.
According to the two, the pipeline as well as strengthened economic ties with Iran in general, would help to boost development in economically marginalised Balochistan and by default, help quell continuous unrest there.
