Tehran, 19 October 2022 (TDI): Mohammad Sadiq, the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Pakistan for Afghanistan is visiting Tehran to meet high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
While there, Ambassador Sadiq called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iran, Hossein Amirabdollahian. The meeting between the two took place yesterday in Tehran.
Aside from that, the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister also met the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Dr. Ali Baqeri.
Iran-Pakistan Relations
Iran was one of the first nations to acknowledge Pakistan’s sovereignty following its independence in August 1947. Both nations have developed partnerships in a number of areas of common interests.
This collaboration also encompasses tackling militancy in the Balochistan region and continuing to cooperate economically where it is possible.
As part of the larger Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, Iran has also indicated interest in participating in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
According to surveys by the Pew Research Center, Pakistan is one of the few nations where Iranian influence is welcomed favourably.
The two partners also agreed to strengthen border security after discussing strategies for dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and border security.
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Moreover, under the initiatives of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who aimed to strengthen Pakistan’s ties with Iran, diplomatic relations between the two countries have lately strengthened.
Also, it is pertinent to note that since the United States broke off Pakistan’s military help in the 1960s, Iran has supported Pakistan by supplying it with American military equipment and spare parts.
The then newly appointed Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto withdrew Pakistan from CENTO and SEATO as soon as the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War ended.
Bhutto believed that the military alliances had not adequately protected or helped Pakistan and had instead alienated the Soviet Union.
Likewise, during the Balochistan insurgency phases against the armed separatist movement in 1974–1977, there was significant military collaboration between Iran and Pakistan.
Moving ahead, in 1978–1980, around 100,000 Pakistani and Iranian soldiers helped put an end to the resistance in Balochistan by dismantling the separatist groups there.
The two nations decided to collaborate on operations against terrorists and drug traffickers in border regions in May 2014.
Nevertheless, since 2000, Iran and Pakistan’s ties have been heading in the direction of normalisation, and economic cooperation has grown.
