Mubeen Ashraf in his article published in daily the Nation on Wednesday said Iran maintains stronghold in the region and the peace talks will be incomplete if Iran is omitted from them.
He went on to say that Iran has a due share in the internal affairs of Afghanistan due to shared history. He said Iran and Afghanistan are two of the four neighbors Pakistan share her borders with.
“As a number of states are playing an instrumental role in the execution of peace process and so do Iran,” he viewed.
He added there is no harm in saying that Iran is among one of the important countries that have the potential to play a significant role in bringing peace in the region.
The analyst says Iran is not opposing the Afghan peace process due to its number of interests in the region.
“The interests of Iran are several such as the to curb the presence of Daesh in Afghanistan, to establish ground links with China, Russia and Central Asian Republics (CARs) and to counter U.S. military objectives,” said Mubeen Ashraf.
He added regardless of numerous interests, Iran’s role in the peace process is vital. “And for that purpose, Iran has been supporting rather initiating a peace process and has had several direct talks with the Taliban in Tehran,” he said.
The expert pointed out that it is noteworthy that Iran maintains strong hold in the region and the peace talks will be incomplete if Iran is omitted from them.
The analyst was of the view that the foremost recommendation to Pakistan is to revive the peace talks and to play a smart and active role in resolving the issues between Iran and Afghanistan.
“As at this point in time, instability in any of the states is not affordable, especially for Pakistan. As Pakistan has already paid a heavy sum in the name of the war on terror,” said the columnist.
He added maintaining healthy relations with Iran, is central to Pakistan’s regional security approach.
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