The Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Peshawar, Mohammad Hassan Imani, on Sunday said that Iran and Pakistan is negotiating cooperation in the development of the Gwadar Port, saying that his country is going to provide electricity to the project shortly.
Addressing a press conference here in connection with the 26th anniversary of the Revolution in Iran, he said that the event had become a landmark of the progress and development of the country.
He said that before the revolution the trade deficit of Iran was $ 3 billion, and now after the changing situation it is earning more than $ 82 billion annually from trade with other countries.
The Iranian envoy said that these changes were difficult task, which have been achieved in the wake of the revolution. Furthermore, he said that the population of the Islamic Republic had registered three-fold growth, but still there is no shortage of food items and each item is available as per demand.
Recalling the scenario after the revolution, he said that unnecessary war was imposed on Iran and according to an estimate prepared by the United Nations it cost $ 1,000 billion while the resources were also near drying.
Mohammad Hassan Imani said that after the revolution, economic sanctions were also imposed on Iran to meet two purposes of blocking development and influence of the change in other countries of the region. Similarly, all those countries, which were intending to supply any kind of commodity, were also punished through imposition of sanctions, he added.
"Besides other fields, Iran has made magnificent achievement in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, and the Iranian surgeons are competent to carry on any kind of major operation in their country," he claimed and added that once neighbouring countries were used to send their doctors for employment but, it itself provides doctors to others.
He also informed that before revolution the literacy ratio was 30 percent, Iran had now reached 90 percent while Unesco has declared it a model for literacy policies urging on other countries to follow its policy.
The achievements, he said have been achieved due to unity among our nation and any nation, which work with unity for the promotion of the national interest would have to get success. He said that the Imam after returning to Iran had always called for national unity in his speeches and it was also his message to other countries.
Replying a query regarding the US allegations against Iran, he said that it has become a routine matter. However, he said that Islam also neither allows the promotion of terrorism nor using some one for it. He said that Iran is included in those countries, which are the victims to terrorism. Then how it can support terrorism. "We reject the allegation as lie", he added.
Rejecting all kind of fears about Pakistan's role in the emerging situation, Imani said that Iran has good and brotherly relations with Pakistan and its people and trying the level of the relations would be further improved in days ahead.
He said that Pakistan and Iran had constituted a number of committees for the strengthening of friendship in various fields, adding that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is scheduled to visit Iran shortly, where he would sign a number of MoUs also.
When asked about Pakistan's role in the development of nuclear technology of Iran. He said: "We have never took the name of Pakistan, any individual or institution. Our scientists say that Iran itself had developed the technology."