DURING his four-day visit to Iraq, President Asif Ali Zardari made a strong case for strengthening economic relations between Pakistan and Iraq to the mutual advantage of the two countries. The President’s focus remained on exploring new avenues in trade, energy and technology both during his meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Dr Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid and delegation level talks where an understanding was reached to foster ties in different areas.
Pakistan and Iraq maintain a close and cordial relationship characterized by shared religious, cultural and historical bonds. This amity was reflected in the strong support and solidarity of people of Pakistan when Iraq’s territorial integrity came under threat due to foreign aggression. Pakistan throughout adopted a principled stand on the Iraq issue, which was reiterated by President Zardari, who declared Pakistan’s firm support for Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity, while reiterating Islamabad’s commitment to Iraq’s stability, prosperity and democratic progress. People of Pakistan are also grateful to Iraq for its consistent support on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir as Iraq considers Kashmir issue a human tragedy and vows to extend diplomatic support to Pakistan at all regional and international forums till its amicable solution. The President reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to support Iraq’s reconstruction and development efforts through the provision of skilled and semi-skilled manpower under the existing Memorandum of Understanding on the subject. Pakistan has a capacity in medical services, financial expertise and digital governance and it can surely share technical experience, including in secure data management, to support institutional capacity-building in Iraq. The Pakistani offer assumes relevance as Iraq has been working to rebuild its economy and infrastructure after decades of conflict, including the 2003 US-led invasion and years of instability caused by sectarian violence and the fight against the Daesh group.
Despite improvements over the years, large parts of the country still face damaged roads, power plants, hospitals and housing, requiring large-scale reconstruction and public service delivery. In view of the fact that annually, approximately 200,000 to 300,000 Pakistani pilgrims (Zaireen) visit sacred sites in Iraq, President Zardari raised the issue of improved facilitation for Pakistani pilgrims visiting Iraq and expressed hope for early finalization and implementation of a proposed Memorandum of Understanding on Zaireen (pilgrims) Management, aimed at ensuring orderly travel. Pakistan also shows sensitivity to Iraqi concerns about violations of the visit visa with the President expressing firm resolve to work with the Iraqi government to stop illegal entry and overstay of those Pakistanis who violate Iraqi law. It is also a fact that Pakistan and Iraq established diplomatic relations soon after Pakistan’s inception in 1947 when Iraq became the first Arab country to recognize the new state. With some exceptions, the two countries maintained traditionally cordial relations but the level of bilateral trade was low despite potential to expand it significantly. The President also strongly pleaded for exploring opportunities for enhancing trade ties significantly and emphasized the importance of business-to-business engagement, reciprocal business delegations and the establishment of direct banking channels to facilitate trade and commercial activity. It is also significant to note that during the President’s visit, the two sides agreed to maintain close coordination at regional and multilateral fora, including the United Nations and the OIC, on issues of mutual interest. The Iraqi President appreciated Pakistan’s role in uniting Islamic Ummah and the historical support to the people of Palestine. The goodwill is certainly there as reflected in bilateral visits earlier and during the President’s visit. However, it may be pointed out that there is a need to translate commitments into practical programmes and projects and this can be done by activating relevant ministries and departments.
