Senate foreign relations committee chairman Mushahid Hussain has said that Pakistan and Iran "have very cordial, traditional, strong and friendly" relations, based on mutual respect and honour.
He was talking to a five-member Iranian media delegation, led by English daily Kayhan International Managing Director Hamid Najafi here at a dinner reception hosted by him at Parliament House on Friday.
The Iranian media delegation included Hussain Shakeri, Co-Director ISNA News Agency, Hamidreza Babaee, Head of International Desk Fars news agency, Faridoon of English Daily Iran News and Mehdi Rehmanian, Managing Director Persian daily Sharq.
Mushahid said that Pakistan and Iran supported each other on all important occasions, and especially referred the support from Iran in the wars against India and then Pakistan's support to Iran after the revolution.
Referring to the nuclear issue of Iran, Mushahid said despite pressure from the world and IAEA, Pakistan fully supported Iran's peaceful nuclear programme and asked the world that the issue should be tackled through political means and not with force.
On the issue of Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, he said that Pakistan "is committed to this project" and there has been progress on the project. He said the IPI is for the development of the region and for the benefit of the people. Therefore, Pakistan is working hard to start the project.