Advice from Rice to Pakistan

The News (Pakistan)
March 19, 2005
US advises Pakistan against Iran gas project
By Naveed Ahmad

ISLAMABAD: The United States top diplomat and former National Security Adviser, Dr Condoleezza Rice, has asked Pakistan to carefully move ahead in its ties with Iran, particularly on the issue of gas pipeline.

Dr Rice, who left for Tokyo on the fourth stop of her six-nation tour early Friday morning, advised Pakistan not to go ahead with Iran on gas pipeline project. "Any move to strengthen Iran, by trade or otherwise, would frown the United States," sources quoted the American diplomat as telling her Pakistani counterpart.

The US ‘advice’ came after Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad admitted that Dr AQ Khan sold centrifuges to Iran. "Our views concerning Iran are very well known by this time, and we have communicated to the Indian government our concerns about gas pipeline cooperation between Iran and India," Rice told reporters before leaving New Delhi for Islamabad.

Diplomatic sources said Pakistan did not reply in a decisive manner when the US secretary spelled out her ‘advice’ on the gas pipeline issue. The United States did not give Pakistan a clear answer to its desire for entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group. "Washington is just one of the members of the total strength of 44 and Pakistan would have to do more to be get into the exclusive club," said a source.

On the free-trade issue, Pakistan was told that Washington was sensitive to the needs of the Pakistani industry but the "textile lobby over there was very influential" and may block any such move impinging upon their market share.

Although Rice spoke at length in the joint press conference on the issue of Dr AQ Khan, the issue did not emerge as the core topic in the formal talks at the Foreign Office. "The issue might have come up during her meeting with General Pervez Musharraf", a source said. "In comparison with her predecessor, Colin Powell, Secretary Rice sounded more decisive and forthcoming in her handling of the issues and responses," said a senior ministry official.