Pakistan-US-Iran
Former Pakistani ambassador Maqbool Ahmed Bhatti on Friday said that the US does not have a balanced policy towards Iran.

However, Bhatti said the uproar in the media that the US is considering a diplomatic way towards Iran is encouraging.

Talking to IRNA in an interview, he said that one thing which can bring both the countries closer is that Iran has never supported Al-Qaeda or terrorism and always wanted peaceful settlement of the problems.

"It is strange that, on one hand, Bush is adopting more aggressive policies towards Iran and, on the other, agreed to talk with Iran on its nuclear issue," he said.

Maqbool Ahmed Bhatti added that Pakistan has welcomed these developments in Iran-US relations as Pakistan has always valued its strong brotherly ties with Iran.

"Pakistan is in favor of negotiations but without the exercise of power on Iran," he said.

He was of the view that it is necessary for US to establish diplomatic relations with Iran, as Iran is the major power in the region having rich recourses of oil and gas.

Iran can play a leading role in finding out the solutions of problems that the region has been facing, said Bhatti.

He held that Israel is threatening Iran after the series of missile tests that the later has carried out, as Israel thinks that Iran may be preparing to attack Israel.

Iran is not going to be an aggressor, Iran will reply only if it is attacked.

Maqbool Ahmed Bhatti, added that the meeting of US under secretary of state with Iranian diplomats to ease the tension is a good sign.

"Iran will only accept the diplomatic route and not the route of military pressure."
Expressing his views on Iran's nuclear programs, he said Pakistan only wants the Iran's nuclear issue should be solved under the auspices of the IAEA.

"We believe Iran has been cooperating with IAEA and continue to cooperate but Iran does not accept US and European Union sanctions, he said.

"I believe now elections are coming in US and who so ever wins will follow a diplomatic approach towards Iran instead of using force, he said.

He added that Americans have been saying that Pakistan has to do more to prevent Taliban infiltrations from Pakistani tribal area into Afghanistan.

Maqbool Ahmed Bhatti said that US has also threatened that if Pakistan is failed to stop Taliban then they will tray themselves.

He said that Pakistan, however, has categorically said that it is fully capable to fight and will not allow any other country to carry out operation on its soil.

"War on terror does not give a right to US and NATO to attack our territory," he said.

To a question about the recent NATO troops movement in Pakistani tribal areas, he said that US will not carry out a full fledged attack in the area it may be thinking of a surgical strike.