ISLAMABAD, 7 December 2006 — Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri will discuss regional peace and security with Iranian leaders during his two-day visit to Tehran later this month.
Kasuri during his visit starting Dec. 20 will also hold talks with Iranian leaders on the trilateral gas pipeline project.
The project involving Iran, Pakistan and India was discussed between President Musharraf, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the NAM summit held in Havana in September this year.
President Musharraf again discussed the $7 billion project with his Iranian counterpart Ahmadinejad on Dec. 3 that envisages the construction of a 2600-kilometer pipeline for the supply of gas to Pakistan and India. Kasuri will also discuss with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki prospects of peace in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iran is an important neighbor of the two countries and a key player in the region, officials said.
Peace in Iraq is of great significance not only for the Middle East region but for world peace as well.
Kasuri will travel to Kabul today to hold talks with Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta. He will discuss with his Afghan counterpart bilateral and regional matters including strengthening of border security.
Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are facing cross-border terrorism with Pakistan having deployed thousands of troops on its northwestern border to check movements of militant Taleban.
Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed on tribal councils, or jirgas, of community leaders from each country to find a solution to the violence. Afghan and Pakistani tribes were split by British civil servants in the same way as Pakistan and India were divided. “We hope that the real representatives from across Pakistan will take part in the (Afghan) jirga,” spokesman for President Hamid Karzai, Karim Rahimi said. Afghanistan wants all tribes to take part in the councils, not just the Pashtuns from the main Pakistani border areas. “But still there is a big gap on positions of the two governments on jirgas and other issues,” Rahimullah Yusufzai, a newspaper editor and expert on Afghan affairs said.
“Pakistanis want more restricted jirgas that should include local tribal elders while Afghans are interested in broad-based gathering including parliamentarians, local councilors, representatives of civil society and NGOs.”
