Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran on Friday agreed to strengthen cultural linkages and people-to-people contacts to further bring the two brotherly countries closer.
Both sides also emphasized the need for taking measures to enhance cooperation in the area of tourism to its fullest potential.
The bilateral relations were discussed in a meeting between President Dr Arif Alvi and the visiting Iranian Minister for Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Seyed Ezzatollah Zarghami, who along with the members of his delegation, called on him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam was also present on the occasion.
Welcoming the delegation, the president said that Pakistan greatly valued its relations with Iran, which were based on historic, cultural and religious bonds.
He appreciated the steps taken by the Iranian government for the facilitation of Pakistani pilgrims visiting the holy shrines in Iran.
The meeting exchanged views on the rising cases of Islamophobia in the world and called for collective efforts to prevent such incidents.
The president remarked that both countries enjoyed good relations and had similar views on the issues of Islamophobia, Jammu and Kashmir, and Palestine.
He informed the visiting dignitary about the anti-Muslim policies of India, particularly in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) where the Indian security forces had unleashed a reign of terror, and were persecuting Muslims.
He also thanked the Iranian leadership for supporting Pakistan’s stance on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.
Congratulating the Iranian leadership and the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, over the normalization of relations between the two countries, the president expressed the hope that the breakthrough in their relations would not only benefit the two countries but also the entire region.
Seyed Ezzatollah Zarghami emphasised the need to increase people-to-people exchanges to further cement bilateral ties between the two countries.
He expressed his condolences on behalf of the people and the government of Iran over the recent terrorist attack in Bajaur.
He also appreciated the Government of Pakistan for its stance on the incidents of desecration and burning of the Holy Quran.
Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday underscored the need for focus on poverty alleviation, education, and preventive health to bring real change in Pakistan and ensure the protection of rights of deprived communities.
Speaking at a ceremony of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), he urged that the foundation of the country needed to be strengthened and basic issues like education and health should be resolved to put Pakistan on the path of further progress and prosperity.
He underlined the need for better decision-making and implementation of policies in the economic and social sectors to transform society for the better.
He cited the example of Korea which adopted the policies of Pakistan’s economist Dr Mehboob ul Haq in the 1960s and grew speedily, saying in the past in Pakistan only lip service was paid and the country could not make its economy flourish.
He said investments in the real estate sector were important but the money should stay in circulation instead of getting stuck in buying of properties, adding wealth should be shared and invested for gainful employment of the people.
He said the concept of nation-state pursued by European countries failed in many aspects, exploited humans and could not stop bloodshed even in the present century, for example in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
He said Pakistan was an Islamic democratic state and its people should be guided by the Quran, Sunnah and opinions of its religious scholars and communities. Reciting the verses of Quran, he said Quran offered solutions for living a moral life leading to the righteous path.
The President was of the view that Islam was not only about rituals but had some basic concepts which should be adopted to keep traveling on the righteous path.
Muslims in Pakistan should inculcate fear of Allah, adopt values of honesty and piety and cultivate the spirit of sharing one’s earnings with the needy and vulnerable people in society, he emphasised.
“We should have strong faith in the revelations of Quran and the hereafter and we should take care of the needs of the poor to seek blessings of Allah.”
Dr Alvi said Pakistan should not rely on foreign aid but people should focus on improving their character, developing a sense of community, giving charity and pursuing values that create a better and God-fearing society.
Society as a whole should take steps to empower women because Quaid-e-Azam categorically stated that without progress of women Pakistan could not move forward, he said adding Islam was the first religion that gave women the right to inheritance.
He lamented the fact that 27 million children in Pakistan were out of school and were deprived of education which should be a matter of grave concern for the policymakers, adding the rights of persons with disabilities should be protected.
President ICCI Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari also spoke on the occasion and highlighted issues faced by the business community.
Earlier, he gave away recognition shields among the former vice presidents of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI).
