Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is visiting Pakistan as head of a parliamentary delegation, met with Ayaz Sadiq at the National Assembly in Islamabad.
Ghalibaf expressed satisfaction with the visit and thanked the Pakistani people for their support of Iran in the face of Israeli aggression, saying such solidarity reflects the deep and long-standing friendship between the two countries.
He added that coming together in difficult times shows the strong ties between Tehran and Islamabad, and expressed hope that the visit will further strengthen inter-parliamentary ties.
Referring to the recent Israeli attacks on Iranian territory, Ghalibaf noted that despite the initial difficult times, Iran responded swiftly and decisively and has never suffered such a heavy blow since the establishment of the Israeli regime in 1948.
He stressed that Iran and Pakistan can work closely together to counter Israeli expansionism and its supporters, as they have many common interests.
Ghalibaf said that Tehran and Islamabad have wide-ranging potential for cooperation across political, economic and cultural fields, and reaffirmed that the purpose of his visit is to deepen these partnerships. He said economic cooperation is a key priority and expressed hope that efforts to expand bilateral trade will be successful.
Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly, expressed his gratitude for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s support for the state and government of Pakistan. He congratulated Iran on its response to the Israeli attack and said Pakistan’s parliament had passed a resolution condemning the attack, noting that from Pakistan’s perspective Israel is a common enemy of both countries. He added that Iran and Pakistan are “one country divided by a border.”
Sadiq also announced that the Iran-Pakistan Friendship Parliamentary Group will soon meet to formulate a new strategy to promote bilateral cooperation. He said senior parliamentary officials from both countries will hold detailed discussions on strengthening ties and advancing joint initiatives.
MNA/6647113