Iran's 'blank cheque'
Tehran took a strategic leap forward as it offered Islamabad to address its irritants on the western and eastern border, unmindful of extra-regional wrangling. The Islamic Republic termed this gesture of unconditional support for Pakistan as a 'blank cheque', as security concerns grow in the wake of Taliban's adamant attitude and Delhi's continued intransigence.
Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's National Security Council and an aide to Supreme Leader Syed Ali Khamenei, turned the tables on diplomacy by exhibiting unprecedented largesse in bilateralism, as he said Pakistan can count on it in adversity. He unfolded a vision of 'unlimited cooperation' in economic ventures with a pledge to undo any kind of barriers coming in the way.
Larijani, on a high-profile debut visit to Pakistan, met the leadership across the board, and was grateful for the unflinching support that came its way during Iran's 12-day war with Israel. Pakistan's aligning itself with Iran during its confrontation with the Jewish state, backed by the US, has opened a new vista of goodwill, and Larijani's visit was in appreciation in all humility. The Iranian leader urged "greater dynamism and practical action" from both sides, and underscored the need for erecting robust mechanisms to take the relationship to new heights.
Iran's magnanimity in the realms of diplomacy, economy and defence has come at a time when Pakistan is confronted with a faceless enemy on its western frontier. The non-state actors also have their presence on the borders with Iran, and deep inside Pakistan's Balochistan province, and this is where Iran's unconditional cooperation is of immense importance.
Likewise, the border markets and trading zones are in need of governmental patronage to harbinger economic prosperity, and could be a game-changer in terms of development and defeating unscrupulous elements having a vendetta against state-centrism. Last but not least, mega-business projects in energy and logistics await serenity, and this is where the blank cheque comes into play.