Pakistan-Iran-Noori
Dr. Maqsoodul Hasan Noori, Senior Research Fellow at Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), on Thursday said Pakistan being a nuclear power believes that Iran has a right to use nuclear energy for peaceful means as par the regulations of IAEA but this should not be channeled towards making nuclear weapons.

Talking to IRNA, he said legally Iran is bound not to use nuclear energy for making nuclear weapons and "Pakistan only wants Iran to abide by IAEA regulations."
"Anti-American sentiment is very strong in the Islamic world and the people of Pakistan are very sympathetic towards Iran; however, our government is somehow pragmatic in expressing its point of view on Iran," he said.

Dr. Noori, said that Iran has signed the NPT and they have assured the world that they are not after the nuclear weapon.

"If Iran wants to become a nuclear power it has to get out of the NPT," he said.

He was of the view that Iran is handling the issue very tactfully and has repeatedly said that it is not after nuclear weapons.

"A country that becomes a nuclear power tries to act in a responsible way and doesn't want any other country to become a nuclear power," he said.

He said that people in Pakistan say that why Iran should not become a nuclear power.

"Our government has said that in case of attack on Iran Pakistan will not allow its soil to be used against Iran and would not give any logistic support," said Dr. Noori.

"Any war in our neighborhood will affect us as we are dependent on Iran and same is the case with Iran as later wants to capture the markets of India and Pakistan to sustain the pressure of economic sanctions," he said .

Expressing his views on Iran-Pak relations, he said that the relations of both countries are based on historical foundations and both have been enjoying friendly relations for so many years.

He said, "there was some tension in the Pak-Iran relations after the Islamic Revolution in Iran but it doesn't mean that our relations were not friendly; there could be tension even
between two brothers. Pakistan's support to Taliban irritated Iran," said Dr. Noori.

"One thing which disturbs our relations with Iran is the strong strategic linking of Pakistan with U.S," he said.

He was of the view that there is religious sectarian divide between Pakistan and Iran as Iran has been ruled by Shiite clerical regime having its own point of view.

"However, both Iran and Pakistan cannot dissociate from each other, they both need each other," he said.

Dr. Noori, said that the gas pipeline project is very important for the region if it works.

"It would be in the interest of Pakistan and India to use the Iranian gas to resolve their energy crises," he added.

He said that there are some security hazards to the project in some parts of Balochistan but the series of energy grid has to be established.

Dr. Noori, added that the governments of Iran and Pakistan are very serious about the project and may in future China would also join the project.

"Our interest lies in Iran and trust of Iran lies in Pakistan," he said.

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