Common enemies not happy with Pak-Iran friendly ties: Iranian consul general

SIALKOT: Iranian Consul General Mohammad Reza Nazeri has said that Iran and Pakistan are two brotherly Islamic countries, which have been enjoying warm and cordial relations based on centuries old religious and cultural traditions since long.

Addressing the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here on Friday, he said that bilateral trade volume was far below the actual potential of the two countries. He viewed that the people of Iran and Pakistan could achieve new milestones of progress and prosperity by enhancing mutual cooperation in the spheres of trade, commerce and industry. He added that unfortunately the enemies of Iran and Pakistan were not happy with the friendly and vibrant ties between them. He said: “We must bravely face our common enemies, who have been trying to create hurdles in the way of our friendly ties.”

Reza said that industrialists, exporters and traders from both countries must actively participate in the trade fares on both sides of the border. He said that during the recent visit to Iran by Prime Minister Imran Khan, it was decided that a meeting of the common committee comprising representatives of both countries would be held in June to discuss plans to increase bilateral trade.

He appreciated the thriving culture of small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in Sialkot. He termed Sialkot a blessed city, which had given birth to a great personality like Allama Muhammad Iqbal. He said that Allama Muhammad Iqbal was highly popular in Iran.

In his welcome address, SCCI president Khawaja Masood Akhtar said that Pakistan and Iran had common views and policies on a number of issues, but it was quite ironic that the volume of bilateral trade was as low as US$ 400 million annually. He said that Pakistan and Iran had never taken pain to built trade ties on solid basis. He said that a sincere and effective mechanism must be set up with coordinated efforts to boost bilateral trade. He hoped that the recent visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan would help in boosting bilateral trade. He said that Iran must try to get benefit from Sialkot, which exported more than 98 per cent of the products manufactured there. He opined that joint ventures from the business communities of Pakistan and Iran could also play a key role in the promotion of bilateral trade. He opined that there had been numerous ways and methods to do business and trade on solid basis, but those ways and methods must be discovered first. SCCI senior vice-president Malik Waqas Akram, vice-president Amir Hameed Bhatti, general secretary Tariq Mehmood Malik, Khawar Anwar Khawaja, Khurram Aslam Butt, Malik Muhammad Ashraf, Khalid, Mian Asif Ali and others were also present on the occasion. Earlier, Mohammad Reza Nazeri visited the ancestral home and birth place Allama Muhammad Iqbal at Kashmiri Mohallah.