–Iran wants decisive action against militants as Pakistan stresses for enhanced security cooperation
LAHORE: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on Saturday discussed bilateral and security relations in a telephone call.
Both leaders reiterated the importance of strengthening bilateral relations, a PM Office statement said.
Islamabad and Tehran looked forward to the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Iran in the near future. They agreed that the visit would help deepen bilateral coordination and cooperation.
Imran expressed his heartfelt condolences on the recent terrorist attack in which 27 Iranian guards were killed. The two leaders agreed on the need for closer cooperation among the two intelligence agencies in combating terrorism.
The premier also briefed the Iranian president about the latest situation vis-a-vis India, and Pakistan’s untiring efforts to defuse the situation through dialogue, and for improving bilateral relations with India. He underscored the role of important brotherly countries like Iran to help in this situation.
‘IRAN AWAITS OPERATION AGAINST TERRORISTS’:
“We are awaiting your decisive operations against these terrorists,” Iran’s IRNA news quoted Rouhani as saying during the telephonic conversation with the prime minister.
“We should not allow decades of friendship and fraternity between the two countries to be affected by the actions of small terrorist groups, the source of whose financing and arms is known to both of us,” Rouhani said.
He said that Pakistan and Iran were neighbours and brotherly countries linked through centuries of closed historic cultural and people to people linkages.
He believed that the role of the two countries would remain central in promoting peace, stability and economic development in this important region.
Earlier in the day, Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will contact Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss regional issues.
Talking to the media after meeting the prime minister at the Chief Minister’s House here on Saturday, he said that he was on a visit to Iran for two days where he met Iranian president and gave him a letter from Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said that he met the premier today (Saturday) to apprise him about his Iran visit.
He said that a meeting between the Pakistani prime minister and Iranian president was expected soon. He said that Pakistan railways would enhance departmental cooperation with Iran and Turkey.
Sh Rashid said that Prime Minister Imran Khan would inaugurate the newly established VIP train, Jinnah Express, on March 30, which would run between Karachi Cantt and Lahore Cantt.
The minister said that another VIP train, Sir Syed Express, would also be introduced soon to facilitate the elite of society.
He advised Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif that they should focus on their health problems.
To a question about expected meeting between PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, the minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was not in any danger from such politicians.
“They will be more exposed and people would know that all corrupt people are joining hands,” he added.