–Iranian foreign minister reaffirms support for Kashmir cause
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran on Wednesday agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in diverse fields as Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Javad Zarif held separate meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan, his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa during his two-day official visit to Pakistan.
The premier emphasised the need for enhanced bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Iran with special focus on bilateral trade and economic relations.
Welcoming the Iranian dignitary, the prime minister said that as Pakistan and Iran enjoyed close and cordial relations, the two countries must further strengthen bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit. He extended condolences over the loss of precious lives in Iran due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sharing Pakistan’s experience, PM Imran said that the “smart lockdown” strategy and other measures taken by his government had led to significant containment of the pandemic in Pakistan. He also underscored the need to work closely for promoting peace, security and development in the region.
Highlighting Pakistan’s efforts towards facilitating peace and stability in Afghanistan, the prime minister said that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process and hoped that the historic opportunity would be seized by all the Afghan parties to secure a political settlement.
The prime minister added that peace in Afghanistan would be beneficial for the entire region as it would create new opportunities for trade and economic cooperation as well as regional connectivity.
Zarif conveyed personal greetings and commitment of President Hassan Rouhani to work closely with PM Imran for further strengthening bilateral cooperation in diverse fields. He also reaffirmed Iran’s steadfast support for the Kashmir cause.
Earlier, the visiting dignitary called on COAS Bajwa and FM Qureshi.
During the separate meetings, the two countries agreed to make joint efforts for peace and stability in the region, including Afghanistan, Radio Pakistan reported.
Zarif, Radio Pakistan said, also appreciated the country’s positive role for regional stability, especially during Islamabad-brokered United States-Taliban peace dialogue.
Speaking to General Bajwa at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Zarif pledged to keep working for better relations between the “two brotherly countries”.
The army chief further said that enhanced bilateral cooperation will have positive impact on regional peace and stability.
“Friendly relations and neighborliness of the two countries, border and defense affairs, as well as peace and security in the region were discussed during the meeting,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said about Zarif’s meeting with the army chief.
Seperately, Zarif met Qureshi and discussed “issues of mutual interest, including bilateral relations, promotion of bilateral cooperation in multilateral fields, and the [coronavirus] epidemic situation.”
“The two foreign ministers also discussed issues related to better border management, promotion of bilateral ties and better facilities for visitors,” the Foreign Office (FO) said, adding they agreed to make joint efforts for peace and stability in the region, including peace in Afghanistan.
“The two foreign ministers, while expressing concern over the growing trend of Islamophobia in some European countries, made it clear that abusive behavior under the guise of freedom of expression is not tolerable,” the foreign office said.
Zarif’s visit to Pakistan forms part of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries, the FO said. This is his fourth visit to Pakistan since 2018.
Iranian media had reported on Tuesday that Zarif would lead a high-ranking political and economic delegation to discuss various issues, including effective management of a 900-kilometer shared border with Pakistan.
Last year, Iran and Pakistan said they would form a joint quick reaction force to combat militant activity on their shared border. Pakistan began fencing its border with Iran in May 2019.
In May this year, General Bajwa spoke to his Iran counterpart, Major General Mohammed Bagheri, through telephone and discussed border fencing, improvement of border terminals, enhancing security and recent attacks on Pakistan troops near the border, among other issues, according to a statement from the ISPR.
