On eve of trip, Rowhani calls for strong ties with Pakistan

On eve of trip, Rowhani calls for strong ties with Pakistan


Tahir Khan March 24, 2016
President of Iran Hassan Rowhani. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

ISLAMABAD: Iran’s President Hassan Rowhani, who is set to arrive in Islamabad today (Friday), has called for strong multilateral economic, trade and political relations with Pakistan ahead of his two-day visit.

In a message to the people of Pakistan on Thursday, Rowhani favoured Pakistan accessing Iran’s rich natural resources to meet energy requirements as well. He also stressed on cooperation between Islamabad and Tehran to secure the Pakistan-Iran border and to fight against terror and extremism.

“After lifting of the unjust sanctions against Iran, the ground is prepared for a rapid leap in establishing bilateral and multilateral economic relations, developing trade and strengthening political-cultural ties [between Pakistan and Iran],” the Iranian leader said.

“In this context, both countries have tried to bring private sector into business and it will make a big difference in developing better relations,” he said just days after Pakistan formally lifted sanctions on Iran in line with the UN resolutions.

Rowhani also said ensuring security on the borders and fighting against extremism and violence are crucial aspects of a constructive relation between two countries.

“Long borders of the two countries could be a constrictive element in strengthening mutual relations more than ever, and to establish better cooperation, not only between two countries but among the countries of the region,” he said.

The Iranian president underscored the need for Pakistan’s access to the Iranian natural resources that he said will pave the way for enhanced bilateral economic relations.

“It is the immediate need of the people of Pakistan, and in the larger scenario need of the [Asian] sub-continent, to have access to the rich oil and gas resources of Iran which not only could be helpful in economic growth of the both countries but also provide possibilities of reducing tension in the region and developing warm and sincere relations.”

Rowhani said it is essential that Pakistan and Iran should lay the cornerstone of new bilateral engagement based on the mutual interests of the two countries.  “Mutual collaboration of the two countries can also be beneficial on regional and global levels.”

He voiced hope that the capacity of mutual cooperation would expand on the basis of the factual ground, and added that the people of the two neighboring countries expect from their leaders to hand over a more prosperous, more cooperative and stronger region to future generations.

The Iranian leader described terrorism and extremism as a terrible disease and said that although it has encroached upon the whole world, the Muslim world has suffered more than others from this scourge.

“The basic reasons of ever increasing extremism are the failure of the leaders of the Islamic countries to create an innovative society and the monitory and ideological interference of foreign forces,” he said.

He added that extremism has shown that in today’s interconnected world, borders have lost their color, and due to inequality, this phenomenon can emerge from any part of the world and can convert it into the hell of political instability and social conflicts.

He argued that violence-based policies spin back to their makers and urged the international community to cooperate to deal with this global phenomenon.


Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2016.

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