Close relations between Pak-Iran stressed

Speakers here in seminar on the cultural dimensions of Pak-Iran relations termed Persian language, its literature the most important characteristic of common culture between two countries.
The seminar was jointly organised under the auspices of Iranian Consulate and University of Peshawar.
Addressing on the occasion Vice Chancellor, University of Peshawar Lieutenant General Mumtaz Gul (Retd) said that Islamic culture and civilisation are the two distinguish trait of unity and vital indicators of growing relations, harmony and support in the regional and international fields.
He added that Hafiz, Molavi and Saadi and other great poets inspired Iqbal and other Pakistani poets towards Persian poetry. The Persian poetry of Allama Muhammad Iqbal invited the Islamic world to unity.
Iran and Pakistan are brotherly nations sharing common history and culture," Gul said adding that there are so many prints of Iranian culture on our culture and no one can deny the traditional close relations between both countries.
He directed department of international relations to record the seminar proceedings and give them documented shape so that the suggestions could be pass on to federal government and foreign office for streamlining their foreign policies.
Consul General of Iran in Peshawar Muhammad Hassan Imani called on the scholars and intellectuals from both the countries to chalk out strategies for strengthening relations to face the cultural challenges in the future.
He said although the geographical frontiers are separated but the depth of cultural and religious commonalties between two nations throughout the history have embodied the portrait of congeniality of support of these two vast lands in different political, social and international landscapes.
In a second session, which was presided over by Director Vice Chancellor's Secretariat Professor Musarrat Hussain Shah, former ambassador Javid Husain presented his paper on Pak-Iran political and security relations.
He said during the pre 1979 era, both the countries were in the Western Camp and during this period the friendship was strengthened because of their common strategic outlook as reflected by their membership of the Baghdad Pact followed by CENTO. While during the post 1979 era, the bilateral relationship was radically transformed by the Islamic revolution in Iran.
During 1980s their common stand against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and Pakistan's support to Iran during the Iran-Iraq war helped in maintaining the traditional friendly ties between the two countries.
Dr Adanan Sarwar Chairman of Department of International Relations, Lecturer Faiza Mir of Balochistan University, Assistant Professor Nazir Hussain of Quaid-e-Azam University also presented their papers.