N P. Upadhyaya, Biratnagar: The Nepal Government last Thursday expressed concern over the escalating tensions in West Asia and urged the parties involved to refrain from doing anything that would “jeopardize the “peace and stability” in the region”.

Nepal’s standard policy is to urge and appeal and that’s all. It is altogether a different matter that such urge(s) and appeal have mostly gone unheard as Nepal is now taken as a satellite State of India.

Let’s admit this fact boldly, say mature observers.

At best, if pushed to the wall, then Nepal’s foreign policy finds it more comfortable to peg its policy, as stated earlier, with that of former British India Company.

What India, born 1947 decides and formulates is Nepal’s structured foreign policy. This means that we have no “Independent foreign policy” as such.

This not only means but is a proven fact more so after the so called last political change of the 2005-6.

An unexpected US strike, ordered by President Donald Trump, that killed Iran’s most powerful military commander Qasem Soleimani a fortnight ago brought the entire Gulf region closer to a full-blown conflict.

Thanks it did not escalate to a dangerous point.

Yet the regional tensions remained high after Iran over these days retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at two bases in Iraq used by US forces.

Thus the death of General Suleimani has definitely brought the US and the Iranian state close to a fierce war.

However, the heighted tensions have reportedly come down to a considerable level as the two conflicting parties, Iran and the US, have realized that a full blown war is neither in the interest of Iran nor the US.

In addition, the countries in the region too have appealed Iran and the US to observe restraint.

Search of a Peace maker:  

Pakistan which fortunately enjoys cordial ties with both the US and Iran prefers not to align itself in the ongoing US-Iran tussle.

This country is close to both the US and Iran.

“Pakistan will not be party of any move that disturbs the peace in the region and will not take sides in the US-Iran conflict, said the Pakistan Armed Forces spokesperson recently.

If so then the situation may take an ugly turn as it is only Pakistan which can normalize the tensed relations between the US and Iran, so believe Nepali observers.

Chances remain fair that if Pakistan loses this opportunity (to find a way out that defuses the war like situation that exists at the moment) then India may exploit this situation for its political advantage.

PM Khan may take some appropriate diplomatic steps that eases the war like environment that exists at the moment.

For some political reasons, India has preferred to keep a distance with Iran.

Commenting over the recent developments in the Middle East, a top official of the Pakistani Armed force has told a leading Pakistani television channel ‘ARY News’ that Pakistan desires regional peace but at the same time, it would not compromise on its national security.

The fact is that any conflict in Pakistan’s neighborhood would have grave security, political and economic risks for Pakistan which has still been reeling from the disastrous consequences of four decades of war in the bordering Afghanistan.

The Islamic Republic also faces prospect of another conflict with its main rival India, writes Zeeshan Haider for Money matters, dated January 1/2020.

According to a reliable source, the Pakistan Army Chief responding to a call from Mike Pompeo after the killing of Sulemani said that there was the need for maximum restraint and constructive engagement by all concerned to de-escalate the situation in the broader interest of peace and stability.

General Bazwa also reiterated need, as wisdom would demand, for maintaining focus on success of the Afghan peace process.

By the way, the US has stated that it was ready for talks with Iran to ease the situation in the area.

The offer of talks came after Iran hit some US camps in Baghdad with Ballistic Missiles.

But this should not mean that the US is afraid of further missile attacks.

In the meantime, both the Afghan and Pakistani governments have urged restraint by Washington and Tehran, fearing that an all-out US-Iran war could unleash uncontrollable violence on their soil.

The worst hit would be the likely peace prospects in Afghanistan.

As of Pakistan in the present US-Iran conflict, supporting the US on Iran “would be a tough decision for the Pakistani government,” Hasil Bezenjo, an opposition politician in Islamabad, told DW-a German news agency just the other day.

“Pakistan has a large Shiite population and if Islamabad sides with Washington, it would unleash a sectarian war in the country.”

At the same time, Pakistan cannot afford to go against the US and Saudi Arabia, as its economy is heavily dependent on the two countries.

It is thus here that PM Imran Khan’s diplomatic acumen shall be tested. Matured observers in Nepal opine that it is Pakistan only which can subside the war like situation in the Gulf/Middle East.

PM Khan enjoys personal intimacy with the Saudi Arabian government more so with Crown Prince MBS. He is equally close to the Iranian regime.

Internationals observers opine that Pakistani army may benefit from a US-Iran confrontation, as it would give generals more leverage domestically and internationally. Interestingly, soon after Soleimani’s killing, Washington revived a military training program for Pakistan, and the Trump administration is likely to restore suspended military aid for the South Asian country Pakistan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan a week ago asked Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to visit Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States to meet his counterparts and convey a clear message that Pakistan is ready to play its role for peace but it can never again be part of any war, writes the Daily Times dated January 9/2020.

The daily Times further reports that the Pakistani prime minister has also asked Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa to contact relevant military leaders of Iran, Saudi Arabia and US to convey the same message.

“I have asked FM Qureshi to visit Iran and USA to meet with respective foreign ministers, Secretary of State; and Army Chief Bajwa to contact relevant military leaders to convey a clear message: Pakistan is ready to play its role for peace but it can never again be part of any war,” the prime minister said in a tweet posted on his social media account.

If so then what could be said that PM Khan shall do everything he can in order to avert the likely war in the Gulf/Middle East.

PM Khan has the advantage that he is the most cordial friend of both the parties in conflict-the US and Iran.

In the meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan will never become part of anyone’s war, but his country will play a role for promoting peace among countries, writes Muhammad Tahir, Ali Jaswal for the Asia /Pacific reports Xinhua.

“We will fully strive for the establishment of friendly relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran,” Khan said in capital Islamabad on Thursday amid tension between the United States and Iran after a U.S. airstrike killed Iranian senior commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq on Jan. 3, adds Tahir and Jaswal for the Asia/Pacific dated January 11/2020.

Besides Khan, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has told the parliament in a policy statement that Pakistan will be neutral in the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Mr. Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of the Pakistani senate’s standing committee on foreign affairs, said Pakistan has taken a good, timely initiative of sending its foreign minister to Tehran, Riyadh and Washington to defuse tensions, as being in the neighborhood where confrontation was brewing, adds the Asia/Pacific dated January 11/2020.

A few days back, Iran informed the United Nations that it had taken “a measured and proportionate military response” to the U.

S. airstrike that killed its top military commander and “does not seek escalation or war.”

At a different plane the Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan freshly called on, January 6/2020, the United States and Iran to de-escalate after two military bases in Iraq, housing American troops, were attacked with Tehran claiming responsibility for it as vengeance for Iranian commander Soleimani’s killing.

That’s all.