Pakistan vigilant amid Middle East unrest

ISLAMABAD:

As Iran prepares to avenge the death of top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Pakistan is carefully assessing the situation to calibrate its strategy in view of the potential implications of wider Middle East conflict.

Tehran has promised reprisals after Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran last week. Iran blamed Israel and vowed to punish the Zionist state for what it termed a "cowardly act."

Like the rest of the regional players, Pakistan is anxiously assessing the nature of counter attack Iran may launch and its possible implications. The relevant authorities at the Foreign Office are discussing the fast changing situation in the Middle East.

"The situation is very delicate. Iran will certainly respond to Haniyeh's death," commented one official familiar with the development. The official who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Express Tribune on Sunday that the nature of the Iranian response was something Pakistan was looking at.

Middle East experts and those who know Iranian policy believe that Tehran could use multiple options to attack Israel. One option that is being speculated is that Iran takes revenge through coordinated attacks to be launched by groups backed by Tehran.

The other scenario may include launching a direct attack against Israel from Iranian soil. People think a second option could be exercised given that Israel targeted Haniyeh on its soil. People at the Foreign Office are looking at the possible implications for the region in general and for Pakistan in particular.

Islamabad is hoping that Iranian attack may not trigger a wider conflict, something that many now fear. If the Iranian response is more than a symbolic one that may lead to serious ramifications.

Pakistan shares a long border with Iran and has both historic and cultural linkages with the Persian Gulf country, therefore any wider conflict involving Tehran may have direct bearing on Islamabad.

"That is why we hope a better sense prevails," said another official, who added that the US and other backers of Israel need to address the root cause of the problem. Without resolution of the Palestinian issue, the region will continue to remain in the grip of uncertainty, he added.

Pakistan feels that Israel is carrying out genocide in Gaza and assassinations with impunity. The west must realize that such tactics would only give birth to more radical groups. The country, meanwhile, is backing diplomatic efforts to ease tensions and prevent further escalation.

Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani on Saturday telephoned Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar to seek Pakistan's support for an extraordinary session of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign Ministers on the evolving situation.

Dar backed the Iranian request and told his counterpart that Pakistan would join the meeting. The extraordinary meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers has been requested by Iran and is expected to take place in the near future.

The assassination of top Hamas leader has put the Middle East region on the cusp of potential wider conflict as Iran has vowed to carry out reprisal attacks.

In anticipation of a potential Iranian response, the US on Saturday announced that it was dispatching an additional warship, fighter jets and missiles in the aid of Israel.