In a major snub to Pakistan, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday refused to get drawn into matters related to India and Pakistan saying he has good relations with both countries even as he categorically denied he discussed India’s ‘RAW’ with Pak Army chief General Raheel Sharif during their meeting.
The denial came in the face of the Pakistan Government going on record by tweeting that Sharif “discussed involvement of RAW in Pak’s internal affairs specially in Balochistan”. In fact, he termed Pak’s latest RAW-spy theory ‘rumour mongering’.
“I have heard that 20 times. Whenever we get close to Pak, such rumours come up. We have brotherly relations with Pakistan.
We also have a good relationship with India thus there is no problem…We believe in positive relations between Pakistan and Iran, therefore, we did not discuss any such rumors during our meeting,” Rouhani said, when asked by media about his reaction on Pak Army Chief discussing RAW with him. Rouhani is on an official visit to Islamabad.
Rouhani making it clear Iran would not like to take sides on the issues between the two neighbouring countries comes against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected to visit to Iran sometime soon this year. The Ministry of External Affairs officials are already trying to work out the travel plans of PM to Tehran. India had maintained trade relations with Iran during the sanctions imposed on it by the Western countries, and is also its biggest oil buyer after China.
The Irani snub came shortly after the Pakistan Government tweeted about Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif having taken up the issue of involvement of RAW in the internal matters of the country especially in Balochistan.
“#COAS called on Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani. Matters of regional security, Pak-Iran Relations, border security& connectivity discussed…#COAS highlighted challenges being faced by Pak & discussed involvement of RAW in Pak’s internal affairs specially in Balochistan,” tweeted Asim Bajwa, Director General of Inter Service Public Relations of Pak.
Pakistan claims to have arrested an Indian national -- Kulbhushan Jhadav, alias Hussain Mubarak Patel from Balochistan who had an Iranian visa on his passport.
New Delhi accepted the man to be an Indian and ex-Navy person but categorically denied he has anything to do with Government anymore following his retirement from services. India has, however, sought consular access to him but there has been no response from the Pak side on this so far.