Consul General, Iranian Consulate in Peshawar, Hassan Darvishvand said that Islamic Republic of Iran wanted to enhance bilateral economic ties with brother Islamic countries, especially Pakistan, saying that Iran would have the capacity to meet the growing energy and gas demand of the Pakistan.
Speaking at an inaugural ceremony of Persian language course for journalists organised by Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUj) in collaboration with Iranian Consulate in Peshawar here at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, he said Iran and Pakistan were bonded with geographical, historic, culture, and common language relations.
He added that both brother states were enjoying cordial relations and wanted to enhance people to people contact, which was the key to develop healthy relation between both Islamic states. Director Iranian Culture Centre, (Khana-e-Frang Iran), Peshawar; Mohamand Ali Zakri, KhUj President; Arshad Aziz Malik, President Peshawar Press Club; Saiful Islam Saifi, General Secretary; Ali Hazrat Bacha and a large number of male and female journalists were present on the occasion.
The CG said Iran intends to extend mutual collaboration in various sectors including energy and gas, adding that Pakistan was facing enormous energy and gas crisis, due to which people were worst affected from the situation. He observed that industrial and economic growth stagnated in the present power and gas crisis in the country.
He said Islamic Republic of Iran had become first largest oil producing and exporting state and an economic giant from gaining its position from second to first in the oil producing nations. He stressed the need for taking full advantages of economic ties between Pakistan and Iran. The decade-long relations needed to further expand at broader level and enhance people to people contact, mutual collaboration in different economic and development sector, he added.
Hassan Vand said unified approaches were the best solution of the problems confronting the Muslim World, adding the predominated forces would be defeated by eradication of ignorance and free from clutches of hegemonic powers.
He highlighted the role of media for safeguarding Muslim Ummah from aggressive forces, and said journalists as diplomat playing a pivotal for bridging relations between two brother states and remove differences between them. Regarding the Persian language, he said the Persian was a very progressive and polite language, but there were very lesser people who have command or understand it.