Iranian Supreme Leader appreciates Pakistan's stance on Palestinian issue

Tehran: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has praised Pakistan’s stance on the Palestinian issue and stressed on enhancing bilateral relations and supporting each other.

On Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran.

The Iranian Supreme Leader highlighted Pakistan’s special role in the Muslim world and stressed that Iran and Pakistan should work together to stop the Zionist regime from committing crimes in Gaza.

In a statement released on social media after the meeting, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Pakistan’s stance on the Palestinian issue is highly commendable. Muslim countries have always been encouraged to establish relations with Israel, but Pakistan has never been affected by these incentives.

Ayatollah Khamenei expressed regret that some Muslim countries are supporting the Zionist regime. He said that through cooperation, Iran and Pakistan can play an important and influential role in the Muslim world, and the Palestine issue can be diverted from its current wrong direction and can be corrected.

The Supreme Leader of Iran stated that he is optimistic about the future of the Muslim world and that many developments have been made that strengthen this optimism.

In a statement released on social media, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed satisfaction over the reduction in the Pakistan-India conflict and hoped that a solution would be found to the disputes between the two nations.

Referring to the global situation, Ayatollah Khamenei said that at a time when the supporters of wars are trying to spread conflicts and divisions around the world, the main source of security and safety in the Muslim world lies in the unity and strengthening of relations between Muslim nations.

Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) should be reactivated through cooperation between Iran and Pakistan.

In the historical context of Pak-Iran relations, Ayatollah Khamenei said that there has been a constant warmth in the relations between Iran and Pakistan, and they have always been brotherly.

Pointing to the Iran-Iraq war era, he added that Pakistan’s position during that period was also a testament to this brotherly relationship.

At the same time, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the current bilateral cooperation in various fields is below expectations.

Ayatollah Khamenei further said that the two countries can support each other in various fields, and he hopes that this visit will be a means of comprehensive expansion of mutual relations, especially in the economic, political, and cultural fields.

It is pertinent to note that Iranian President Masoud Peshkeshkian was also present at the meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran, while Field Marshal Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi and Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar were also present in the Pakistani delegation.

In the meeting, the Prime Minister mentioned the government’s steps to take Pak-Iran relations to the highest level and said that the Pakistani government wants these relations to be further enhanced to strategic cooperation.

On the situation in Gaza, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that it is regrettable that the international community has not taken any effective steps to end the ongoing devastation in Gaza. The Prime Minister appreciated Iran’s positive role in reducing the recent tension between Pakistan and India.

Shehbaz Sharif also invited the Supreme Leader of Iran to visit Pakistan and praised his love for Allama Iqbal’s poetry.

In an interview during the same visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan is considering signing a free trade agreement with Iran.

The Prime Minister, describing Iran’s talks with the US for the nuclear deal as far-sighted, expressed hope that a constructive deal will be reached between the two countries, and this will increase peace and stability in the region.