Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani on Thursday said there is a dire need for Asian countries to unite and adopt a collective strategy in the wake of threats and challenges being faced due to a changing world order.

He was talking to an Iranian delegation led by the Chairman of National Security and Foreign Commission of Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, Allauddin Boroujerdi at Parliament House. The delegation invited the Senate chairman to take part in the Palestine conference.

Raza Rabbani said the Palestine Conference being organised by Iran in the near future is of utmost importance. He said Pakistan ascribes the highest importance to its historic relations with Iran and is looking forward to further enhance these traditional ties for better economic and political collaboration through increased parliamentary links between the two countries.

The chairman said Pakistan and Iran have always cooperated at international forums and has adopted a unified stance on various issues. He also stated that Muslims should come forward and take concrete measures to ensure that the resources of the Muslim world are no longer exploited and there is a collective response to aggressive designs.

Raza Rabbani assured the Iranian delegation of his full support on the Palestine cause. He said he would ensure his participation in the event. Separately, during a meeting with National Assembly Speaker, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, issues relating to cooperation in all fields came under discussion. The speaker said that this is the right time for closer and consistent parliamentary engagement to restrain the descent into chaos of the Muslim world. He termed Pakistan-Iran parliamentary engagement as “highly imperative” for cohesion of the entire region.

The speaker said Iran and Pakistan are bonded through the eternal ties of religion, culture, and history and there is commonality of views and perceptions that both the countries share on all regional and global issues. He also expressed the need to increase contact between parliamentarians, the political leadership, and the people of the two countries.

Ayaz Sadiq outlined how Pakistan has embarked upon a regional focus in the pursuit of shared prosperity. He added that Iran shines prominently in its strategic calculations of Pakistan’s parliamentary diplomacy and recommended a frequent exchange of delegations to assign substantive meanings to inter-parliamentary relations. The Speaker reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to consolidate an all-encompassing brotherly relation between Iran and Pakistan and urged for an enhancement of trade and people to people relations.

The Speaker also highlighted how Pakistan has always played a leading role to promote unity among the Muslim world and continue to leverage its influence for promoting cohesion, cooperation, and collaboration amongst Muslim countries. Boroujerdi conveyed his firm commitment to collaborate with Pakistan’s parliament in the quest of a more robust and diversified relation between the two countries. He added that Iran considers Pakistan its partner for peace in the region and expressed his hope that in future both nations will continue to chart the paths of prosperity together. He reiterated Ayaz Sadiq’s proposal for diversification of trade and economic relations and advised a comprehensive engagement of the parliamentary committees to explore different avenues for mutual cooperation.