Pakistani diplomat urges PM, Army Chief to visit Iran

EghtesadOnline: Senior Pakistani diplomat insists Pakistani civil and military leadership to visit Iran to have a better and strong relationship with the neighboring state.

News ID: ۷۷۲۷۲۷

30 December 2016

Shahid Masroor Gul Kiani, Pakistan's former ambassador to Vietnam and Malaysia, expressing his views on a current affairs program on Pakistan State Television PTV said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan’s new army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa should undertake a visit to Iran, according to IRNA.

“I think the Chief of Army staff must visit two of our neighboring countries Iran and Afghanistan to send a right signal. We have very close relations with these two countries and to strike a balance the army chief must visit these countries,” he said.

The diplomat went on to say that at this time the role of the military is as important as of political government and the visit of the military leader to Iran and Afghanistan would also be a step in the right direction.

“This is the time when Prime Minister should undertake visit to Pakistan’s neighboring countries especially Iran and Afghanistan,” he said.

Shahid Masroor Gul Kiani added that Pakistan army chief’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia is a step in positive direction but he also needs to visit other friendly countries.

In the meantime, Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, Professor of International Relations and Politics in Quaid-e-Azam University, expressing his views on the TV program said that Pakistan has no problem with Iran’s Chabahar port and Chabahar trilateral agreement(signed between Iran, India and Afghanistan).

“Iran has shown interest in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is a very positive development. There are areas of convergence with Iran so we should focus more on that, we should solve all problems with Iran,” he said.