Iran nuclear deal: ‘Pakistan should seize opportunity’

Pakistan urged to play role in lowering tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan should consider Iran nuclear deal with world powers as an opportunity to pursue its own interest in the region by striking a balance in its relations with Iran and other regional countries.

This was said by Monmouth College Illinois, US, Prof Dr Farhat Haq while speaking at a seminar titled “Iran nuclear agreement and the US domestic politics”, organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Thursday.

Dr Haq said that the Iran nuclear agreement was one of the most significant events of the decade and would have crucial ramifications for regional balance of power as was clear by a strong opposition to the deal by Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Dr Haq said that now it was time Pakistan played a positive role in lowering tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

“The deal was inevitable as Russia and China were prepared to go alone on the issue,” Dr Haq said adding that the deal will have a profound impact on the US foreign policy and its domestic politics.

She said that the deal had been pushed through an ‘executive order’ and it was likely to be rejected by the republican dominated US Congress. She anticipated that the US president may veto the congressional decision and carry on the deal under the ‘executive umbrella.

She said that President Barak Obama was awarded the Noble Peace prize in 2009, which he has now earned by signing the Iran nuclear deal.

Dr Haq also said that Iran has a rich history and Germany was very much in favour of the agreement while China, Russia and India have no problem with the agreement.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2015.