IRAN UPSET OVER PAK GEN HEADING ISLAMIC MILITARY ALLIANCE
ISLAMABAD: Iran has expressed reservations about the appointment of former Pakistan Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif as head of the Islamic Military Alliance created by Saudi Arabia, prompting Islamabad to step up efforts to assuage Tehran.
“We are concerned about this issue...that it may impact the unity of Islamic countries,” Mehdi Honardoost, Iran’s envoy to Pakistan, said. This was the first time Iran publicly expressed its displeasure on the issue.
Pakistan contacted Iranian officials before issuing a no-objection certificate to Sharif to take up the position of head of the 39-nation military alliance, but this “did not indicate that Iran was satisfied with this decision or it had accepted the same”, Honardoost was quoted as saying by state-run IRNA news agency.
Defence minister Khawaja Asif had earlier said the Pakistan government had cleared Sharif to take up the job following a formal request from Saudi Arabia.
Islamabad’s decision is set to further complicate fraught Pakistan-Iran relations, especially at a time when Saudi Arabia and Iran are jockeying for influence in the Middle East.
Foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua said on Tuesday the alliance wasn’t against any country and Sharif will not act against Iran. She told a parliamentary committee on foreign affairs: “The Islamic alliance is against terrorism, not any country.” She said Pakistan is making efforts to reduce tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. “It is difficult for Pakistan to maintain equal relations with both countries but Pakistan will not go against Iran’s interests,” she said.
Pakistani officials confirmed they intend to reach out to Iran to address their concerns. Officials told the media that Pakistan has informed Saudi Arabia that it would not become part of any campaign against any country, including Iran.