Pakistan attaches high importance to its ties with Iran: Pirzada

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on Wednesday said that Pakistan attached high importance to its brotherly ties with Iran. He was talking to Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghaddam, who called on him.

Pirzada said that it was an honour for him to meet and welcome Iranian President Ayatollah Ibrahim Raisi and accompany him during his visit to Pakistan. The minister acknowledged the ambassador’s tireless efforts for strengthening the two countries’ relationship. During the meeting, the two sides discussed various bilateral issues. They emphasized the shared commitment of Iran and Pakistan to standing up for the rights of the people of Kashmir and Palestine.

They noted that the two countries had been resolute in their support for the two long-standing conflicts. Minister Pirzada lauded the stance taken by Iran on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine, where the world had witnessed a concerning silence from so-called human rights advocates. He highlighted the importance of Iran’s principled position in the face of grave injustice. The minister informed the ambassador that the message of the Iranian President for the Prime Minister of Pakistan had been duly conveyed. Moreover, he himself delivered the Iranian President’s message to the people of Pakistan through a speech in the National Assembly, he added.

Ambassador Moghaddam commended the efforts and arrangements made by the government to facilitate the visit of the Iranian President, underscoring the importance of such high-level exchanges in strengthening bilateral ties. He expressed appreciation for Minister Pirzada about his speech in the National Assembly upon the Iranian President’s recent visit to Pakistan. Moghaddam also highlighted the positive outcomes of the visit, including the release and transfer of Pakistani prisoners held in Iran, as per mutual understanding. He expressed the hope for similar reciprocal actions by Pakistan regarding Iranian prisoners in Pakistan. The ambassador extended full support to facilitate Pakistani pilgrims visiting holy sites in Iran, emphasizing that they were allowed to travel using their buses and security.