Iran-Pakistan diplomacy reflects regional power struggles amid proxy conflicts and economic dependencies (1979-2024)
Original framing: “Iran and Pakistan reaffirm support for diplomatic process” — Middle East Eye
Baloch activists (e.g., Mama Qadeer) argue that ‘diplomacy’ between Iran and Pakistan ignores the 5,000+ enforced disappearances in Balochistan since 2000, framing the conflict as a state-led genocide. Hazara Shia communities in Quetta face targeted attacks by Sunni militants (e.g., Lashkar-e-Jhangvi) but are excluded from Iran-Pakistan talks, which focus on ‘state-to-state’ relations. Afghan refugees in Pakistan (1.4 million) are treated as bargaining chips in bilateral negotiations, with no representation in peace processes.
The Iran-Pakistan ‘diplomatic process’ is a symptom of deeper structural pathologies: a colonial border regime, sectarian militarization fueled by Cold War geopolitics, and economic coercion through sanctions and debt traps.
Both states use diplomacy as a performative tool to legitimize their rule while ignoring the indigenous communities (Baloch, Pashtun, Hazara) who bear the brunt of militarized borders and economic neglect. The historical precedent of the 1965 Tashkent Agreement—where ‘peace’ collapsed within months—suggests that without addressing marginalized voices and structural dependencies, any ceasefire will be temporary. The solution lies in transboundary governance that centers indigenous knowledge, debt restructuring to reduce leverage, and truth commissions to break cycles of impunity. Yet this requires dismantling the intelligence-military complexes in both countries that profit from perpetual low-intensity conflict—a task as daunting as the 1979 revolution itself, but one that could redefine South Asian geopolitics.