ISLAMABAD: Reza Amiri-Moghaddam, the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan, emphasized that the enduring friendly relations between the people of Pakistan and Iran, which span centuries, have not been successfully translated into economic cooperation.
During a meal hosted by PML-N leader Muhammad Mehdi in Lahore, the Iranian ambassador stated that in the last financial year, the two countries had a bilateral trade volume worth $2.4 billion.
He emphasized that employing a common currency and barter trade could potentially increase the trading volume tenfold. He also noted that despite the likelihood of certain troublemakers attempting to disrupt Pakistan-Iran relations, the leadership and citizens of both nations would successfully thwart such efforts.
The ambassador further highlighted that Pakistan and Iran shared common interests and faced similar threats, and fostering friendly relations between the two countries could mitigate these risks.
Mr. Amiri-Moghaddam pointed out that Pakistan’s wheat, rice, meat, and textiles were highly sought after in Iran, while Pakistan had a strong demand for Iranian oil and gas. Additionally, Iran had the potential to export tractors and agricultural implements to Pakistan.
Regarding the Palestine issue, the ambassador expressed his belief that Arab countries’ strategic error lay in their relations with Israel. He emphasized that Israel perceived the entire Arab region as its territory and had ambitions to expand from the West Bank to the Euphrates River. He stated that Arab countries would be unable to halt Israel’s expansionist agenda.
He suggested that the two-state formula was the only viable solution to the Palestinian issue.
BNP-M Chief Mengal Announces Islamabad Sit-In On Oct 30
Meanwhile, Mengal, in a post on his former X account, announced a sit-in scheduled for October 30 in Islamabad. He criticized policymakers for worsening the situation in Balochistan, accusing them of exacerbating the problems instead of improving them.
Earlier that day, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, a leader of the BNP-M, led a long march from Wadh to protest what he believed to be a “death squad” operated by caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti. The political party also demanded the recovery of individuals who were reported as “missing.”
