- "Pakistanis have great deal of emotional attachment
with the Iranian people." --Shahid R. Siddiqi
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- The 2010 Pakistan flood was one of the most unpleasant
and painful incidents of the year which attracted widespread international
attention due to its extensiveness and destructive impacts. The floods
started in July following heavy monsoon rains and overflow of the Indus
River in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan regions
of Pakistan. It is estimated that more than two thousand people lost their
lives and over a million homes were destroyed since the flooding began.
According to the United Nations estimates, over 21 million people have
been injured or displaced as a result of the devastative flood.
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- Pakistani journalist and former Air Force employee Shahid
R. Siddiqi joined me in an interview to discuss the aftermaths of the unprecedented
flood which encompassed the whole Pakistan in a matter of days and caused
serious damages to the country's agriculture, industry, energy sector,
infrastructures and even politics. Mr. Siddiqi answered my questions about
the government's management of the flood and the distribution of humanitarian
aid sent by different countries to the flood-hit regions. He explained
that how the unanticipated disaster paralyzed Pakistan in an astonishing
way and surprised the unprepared government which failed to manage the
crisis appropriately. In this interview, I also seized the opportunity
to ask Mr. Siddiqi some questions about the prospect of Iran Pakistan
relations and Pakistan's stance on Iran's nuclear program.
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- Shahid R. Siddiqi has been a broadcaster with the Radio
Pakistan and the Islamabad bureau chief of the "Pakistan and Gulf
Economist". His articles and political commentaries appear in the
Pakistani newspapers such as Dawan, The Nation and Pakistan Herald. He
is also the founder of Asian American Republican Club. Siddiqi is a frequent
contributor to Foreign Policy Journal, Middle East Times and Axis of Logic.
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- Kourosh Ziabari: How did the government of Pakistan manage
the aftermaths of the recent devastative flood? Has it succeeded in preventing
a humanitarian disaster from taking place in the flood-hit regions?
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- Shahid R. Siddiqi: The floods caught the Government of
Pakistan totally unawares. Unfortunately, civilian governments in Pakistan
have historically failed to comprehend the importance of preparedness for
disaster and relief management. This is exactly what happened with the
present government. This happened in spite the fact that an organization,
Disaster Management Cell, was in place with very adequate experience of
handling the massive earthquake that hit the Northern Areas of Pakistan
in 2005. This lack of preparedness was a direct consequence of general
mismanagement at the top levels of the government.
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- These were the most widespread and disastrous floods,
the like of which had never before been witnessed in this region. The scale
of destruction did not dawn upon the government until much later, until
after the waters had inundated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and hit Punjab. And by
the time the government began to respond, millions had been uprooted and
tremendous losses had occurred. According to one estimate these floods
have caused a disaster bigger than Haiti and Tsunami combined.
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- The losses were colossal. Twenty million people were
affected. 20% of the country, mostly the farmland, went under water. Millions
of cattle heads died, standing crops of rice, cereals and vegetables were
destroyed, enormous quantities of stored wheat grain was lost to flood
waters and the agricultural infrastructure crumbled. Breakdown in transportation
caused food shortages all over the country resulting in prohibitively high
prices.
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- The humanitarian disaster was humongous and beyond the
capacity of the civil administration to handle. The military did a commendable
job of rescue and relief. It quietly moved in to fill the void due to the
absence of the civil administration and worked tirelessly round the clock
with heads down. Had it not been for it, the humanitarian disaster would
have been much greater.
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- The flood waters originated in the mountainous catchment
areas in the north and flowed south overflowing the banks of several smaller
rivers to eventually join the River Indus, overflowing it and causing all
adjoining areas to come under water. The flood has now subsided in the
north in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, and the water is now passing
through the southern province of Sindh to drain into the Arabian Sea. Hopefully
by the middle of October the waters would recede in the South too.
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- As life in the north returns to normal and people return
to their devastated towns, villages and homes, the more difficult and capital
intensive phase of rehabilitation begins. The government is short of funds.
Aid is coming in but is not enough. The UN is trying to raise funds for
rehabilitation but the response is slow. The economic situation in the
country is bad. People struggle to keep their body and soul together and
raise a shelter over their heads to resume their lives.
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- KZ: Many countries have dispatched convoys of humanitarian
aid containing foodstuff, medicine, clothing and other basic necessities
to be distributed among the flood-hit families. Has the process of distribution
been satisfactory?
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- SS: The distribution of relief goods was undertaken mainly
by the military and the NGOs. The civil administration joined in later.
Although the distribution was handled quite efficiently, the aid supplies
were found inadequate at times. The very scale of disaster, very large
areas involved, difficulties of transportation and distribution issues
due to inaccessibility of marooned populations, complicated the relief
work. There was acute shortage of helicopters, which were eventually diverted
by the Americans from Afghanistan and which came very handy in search,
rescue and supply droppings.
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- KZ: Which countries provided the most help to Pakistan?
Has the extent of international aid been sufficiently helpful to the families
grappled with the flood?
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- SS: The largest chunk of aid in dollar terms came form
the U.S. The UN has also launched a big effort at raising funds to help
out in the rehabilitation phase but the response of the international community
is slow. It is gratifying to see that India also contributed to the UN
fund. The European Union has also made a sizable donation.
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- Given the scale of destruction, it is beyond the capacity
of Pakistan to help rehabilitate the affected people in their homes and
enable them to make a new beginning. International assistance is critically
important.
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- KZ: So far, Iran has dispatched 13 convoys of humanitarian
aid to Pakistan. How do you estimate Iran's assistance to Pakistan? What's
the general viewpoint of the people with regards to Iran's helps?
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- SS: Iranian aid convoys were much appreciated at the
government level as well as by the people. They came very handy in meeting
the needs of the affectees. The consignment was handed over to the military
for distribution.
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- Pakistanis have great deal of emotional attachment with
the Iranian people and they also hold the Ummah in very high regard. From
the days of former King Reza Shah, although not for the love of the Shah
himself, Pakistan had very close bilateral relations both at the government
and the people's level. Even a small gesture from Iran, whether by the
government or the people, is therefore much appreciated.
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- A point to note is the close historical ties that existed
between Iran and the India much before the British colonized India. Substantial
migration took place from Iran into India and even today such old migratees
keep their ancestral identities alive by using surnames such as Mashhadi,
Isfahani, Tabrezi, etc. Persian remained the official language in India
at one time and every Urdu poet or scholar worth his name thought his work
to be incomplete unless he had a book or two in Persian language to his
credit. There was a tremendous influence of Persian culture in the Moghul
court. This brought Pakistanis very close to the Iranians.
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- KZ: What's your prediction for the prospect of Iran -
Pakistan relations? How can these two neighboring countries contribute
to the empowerment of Islamic solidarity? How can the bilateral relations
between Iran and Pakistan serve the interests of the regional countries?
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- SS: Neither Pakistan nor Iran can change the geography
of the region. Both of these people have been neighbors always and will
always be, till the end of times. Over centuries they have been influenced
by each other's culture, language and life style. They share the same religion
and about 15% population of Pakistan is of Shia denomination, which is
the official religion of Iran and which therefore looks up to Iranian Shia
leadership for guidance. This explains the cultural, social and religious
affinity between the two people.
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- On the political front, the two countries have enjoyed
very close relations in the past. They were part of the SEATO and CENTO,
the two U.S. sponsored military pacts, along with Iraq and Turkey back
in the 1960s. The Shah was very supportive of Pakistan and when in 1965
war broke out between Pakistan and India, he opened his armory gates to
Pakistan. Pakistan was able to purchase some tanks and F-86 aircraft from
Iran during that period when it could not get these from other sources.
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- Unfortunately, relations between President General Zia
and the Khomeini regime became sour. The Iranian revolutionary leadership
went to the extent of refusing to receive President Zia at the head of
a Muslim delegation that wanted to help negotiate a ceasefire and reconciliation
between Iran and Iraq when they were at war. Although the official relations
have gradually improved ever since, they could not be restored to the same
level of cordiality as during the Shah and a certain distance remains.
I think this is not in the interest of any of the two countries.
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- One reason for this lack of warmth on the part of Iran
towards Pakistan is Pakistan's vey close relations with Saudi Arabia, which
is obviously not to the liking of the Iranian regime. Then Pakistan has
been closely allied to the U.S. on account of political, economic and strategic
compulsions of its various regimes. Another factor that contributed to
this state of relations is Pakistan's support to the Sunni Mujahedeen groups
during their war against Soviet Union and later to the Saudi backed Taliban,
the followers of Salafi sect.
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- But all said and done, it is in the interest of the two
neighbors to forge a very close alliance by showing an understanding and
tolerance for each other's national interests and policies. In practical
terms it not possible for either country to make an about turn and reconcile
and realign its policies with the other. In an environment where the West
is forging its own alliances with a view to strategically dominate this
region and control and harness energy resources of the Caspian Sea Basin
and Central Asia, it is imperative for Iran and Pakistan, and other Islamic
countries of the Middle East, to see through the game plan, shun their
differences, show tolerance and forge a broader alliance in their own good.
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- At a time when the world is moving towards regional unions
and trading blocs, why should Muslim governments of the region display
a myopic approach towards safeguarding and promoting long term Muslim interests
and fritter away their energies and resources in squabbling with each other
and trying to pull each other down.
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- For the moment this seems to be a tall order. This cannot
be done unless the Shia-Sunni divide among Muslim states of the region
is not bridged, unless the rulers give up their petty differences, overcome
their suspicions of each other, stop playing in the hands of big powers
and show statesmanship. But, unfortunately, this element is entirely missing
from the present crop of Muslim rulers of this region.
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- In the present scenario the Islamic countries of the
Middle East and South West Asia are drifting apart along the Shia-Sunni
divide. The Sunni Arab States do not want to see a nuclear armed Shia Iran,
particularly after the fall of the Sunni government in Iraq, which could
potentially lead to the creation of a pro-Iran Shia regime in Iraq right
in their midst, which they fear will create a strong and aggressive bloc
that could destabilize them. This fear among Arab states will not serve
the interests of Iran at all. The Arabs are bound to join hands with Iran's
enemies to weaken it. That explains the news report that Saudi Arabia agreed
to allow Israel to use its air space to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.
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- This acrimony between Iran and Arab states places Pakistan
in a difficult situation. Pakistan does not want to see Iran attacked or
be engulfed in war. It cannot also afford to give up its relations with
Arab states due to the economic and political support it gets from them,
which Iran will not provide.
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- But Pakistan is in a unique position to play an important
role in bridging the gulf between Iran and the Arab world. It can help
reconcile differences and allay each others' fears. Before this can happen,
Pak-Iran relations will have to be brought on solid footing and Iran will
need to soften its rhetoric and aggressive posture to create an environment
of reassurance in the Arab world.
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- KZ: Over the past years, Iran has been constantly exposed
to the threat of a military strike on its nuclear facilities by the United
States and Israel. What's the stance of Pakistani people and government
in this regard?
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- SS: The Western threat of military strike against Iran
has been a matter of great concern for an average Pakistani. He believes
that not only would this cause death and destruction in a neighboring Islamic
country, but it would engulf the whole region in a cycle of violence. There
is also a likelihood of serious environmental disaster due to release of
radioactive materials over the skies of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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- Pakistanis believe that Iran has the right to pursue
development of nuclear energy for legitimate and peaceful purposes and
that any doubt or dispute in the matter should be resolved through dialogue
rather than arm twisting.
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- The general impression in Pakistan is that the aggressive
American posture towards Iran arises out of Israeli pressure that has been
brought upon the US and European allies. Israel has always been paranoid
with those Muslim states that either have developed or are developing military
capability to challenge Israel's might and domination, even if it is in
conventional terms. It attacked and destroyed the Iraqi reactor as a preemptive
action. In subsequent years it planned similar attacks against Pakistan's
nuclear facilities in collusion with India, which were thwarted by Pakistan's
military. And now it targets Iran because of Iran's ability to defeat Israeli
aggression in the region directly and indirectly, e.g. through Shia groups
in Lebanon.
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- The Pakistan government clearly favors dialogue and not
armed confrontation as means of resolving this dispute.
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- KZ: United States and its allies around the world have
imposed several rounds of unilateral sanctions against Iran over its nuclear
program. What's your idea about this? While Israel possesses up to 200
nuclear warheads, it's Iran which is under international pressure to halt
its nuclear program. What do you think about the international pressures
imposed on Iran over its nuclear program?
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- SS: Pakistanis know very well that the U.S. does not
act evenhandedly when it comes to favoring Israel. The world knows about
Israel's undeclared nuclear arsenal. But neither the U.S. and nor Europe
are willing to acknowledge this fact. Israel happens to be a major nuclear
threat to its neighbors, yet the U.S. behaves as if neither Israel has
any nuclear weapons nor does the U.S. know anything about them. When it
suits the US it does not shy away from practicing double standards.
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- The U.S. did not act the same way with Pakistan. Pakistan
was subjected to all kinds of sanctions after it exploded its bomb in response
to the Indian explosion. It was only when the U.S. desperately needed Pakistan's
support to fight the Taliban after 9/11 that the sanctions simply evaporated
overnight.
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- I believe, and so do the Pakistanis generally, that the
U.S. has shown indecent haste in imposing sanctions against Iran. Quite
clearly diplomacy has not been given a chance. China did resist the U.S.
pressure but Russia readily capitulated and voted with the U.S., which
came as a surprise. Russia was supplying nuclear reactor to Iran and as
an emerging power it was expected to show some spine. The others have been
forced to fall in line.
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- With the U.S. having donned the mantle of the sole super
power, it is in a position to twist the tail of most countries which either
fall in its sphere of influence or need its support in one form or the
other. It utilizes this advantage to the hilt and forces its will down
everyone's throat. Turkey and Mexico played a positive role and America
should have given their effort a chance.
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- However, the U.S. involvement in Afghan imbroglio and
the economic melt down it faces at home makes it difficult for it to open
a new front against Iran as of now. It has been holding Israel back for
this reason. But once US withdrawal from Afghanistan begins and the economy
shows signs of improvement, the threat could revive.
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- It goes to the credit of Iran to have withstood these
sanctions and is resisting the American, European and Israeli pressure
with determination.
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