Journalists meeting in Pakistan House, Kathmandu, Nepal ( IV )

Journalists meeting in Pakistan House, Kathmandu, Nepal ( III )

Journalists meeting in Pakistan House, Kathmandu, Nepal ( II )

Journalists meeting in Pakistan House, Kathmandu, Nepal ( I )

SALAM, NAMASTY........!

Tomb of RANI POKHRI near Gaoshala, Kathmandu, Nepal

Clay modeling ( God under construction ) ( II )

Clay modeling ( God under construction ) ( II )

Clay modeling ( God under construction ) ( II )

Clay modeling ( God under construction ) ( I )

Trust is two-way Street " Presentation by: Ashfaq rehmani

Presentation paper


Topic
Trust is two-way Street
Presentation by: Ashfaq rehmani
pasrurmedia@hotmail.com

"Relations between Iran and Pakistan" peaked in the 60's and 70's under the Shah with Considerable joint ventures and assistance provided by Iran to Pakistan. Iran is also a popular tourist spot for Pakistan's Muslims, notably its Shia population which represents about 20% of Pakistan population of 170 million people. Low period have occurred, however, strains in the relationship appeared in the 1980s, when Pakistan and Iran supported opposing factions in the Afghan conflict. Also, some Pakistanis suspect Iranian support for the sectarian violence which has plagued Pakistan. Furthermore, many Pakistani's were disappointed when much of Iran's nuclear research was stated as having originated from Pakistan, this despite the fact that Iran's nuclear program was started some 20 years before that of Pakistan's. Nevertheless, Pakistan pursues an active diplomatic relationship with Iran, including recent overtures to seek a negotiated settlement between Afghanistan's warring factions. Pakistan also supports Iran's use of Nuclear Technology for peaceful purposes. Both countries are endeavoring to improve and strengthen bilateral trade and commerce between them. On January 27 2006, Pakistan, Iran, and India agreed to start work on IPI gas line which Pakistan needs to shrink the gap of Demand and supply of energy in Pakistan to maintain economic growth. India has consistently stalled the talks asking for more time under the duress of the United States, but Pakistan and Iran have agreed to go ahead with the project even if India doesn't participate thus highlighting the two countries commitment to the project. Relations, however, once again have become strained over the ongoing Afghan conflict. The Afghan Republic has consistently accused Pakistan's intelligence of supporting insurgents and contributing to an unstable Afghanistan

According to media source, Deputy Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's ground force, Gen. Noor Ali Shooshtari is among those killed in the attack; 18 Oct 2009 Pakistani officials have announced the arrests of three Iranians in connection with a suicide attack last month in southeastern Iran that killed 42 people. Security officials say the suspects were arrested Thursday in Pakistan's Balochstan province on the Iranian border. A Sunni rebel group that operates in Pakistan, Jundollah (God's Soldiers), has claimed responsibility for the attack in Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan province. Iranian officials have accused Pakistan of supporting the rebel group, raising tensions between the two neighbors. But Pakistan condemned last month's bombing, denied any involvement and vowed to help Iran track down those responsible. Fifteen members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard were among those killed in the attack, including several top commanders.

After the bombing, Iran's Revolutionary Guards chief, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, vowed to "retaliate" against U.S. and British intelligence agencies that he said helped the bombers. The U.S. and British governments condemned the attack and have denied any involvement. Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad said although Iran and Pakistan have a "brotherly relationship," the presence of what he called "terrorist elements" in Pakistan is unjustifiable. The bomber in the attack blew him up at a sports complex in the Iranian town of Pisheen where the Revolutionary Guards were preparing to meet Shi'iteand Sunni tribal leaders. Among those killed were tribal leaders, the Revolutionary Guards' deputy commander General, Noor Ali Shooshtari, and the Guards' top commander in Sistan-Baluchestan Rajab Ali Mohammad-Zadeh.
Dear Readers, Iran was the first country to recognize Pakistan soon after its independence in August 1947. During the first decade of independence, successive Pakistani governments attached high priority to establishing bilateral relations with Iran. In the early 1970s, Pakistan's success in ending a powerful separatist insurgency in the province of Balochistan, bordering Iran, would not have been possible without the support of the Iranian military. This, in fact, set the precedence for Pakistan's involvement in the anti-Soviet war in Afghanistan during the 1980s. During the 1990s, relations between the two countries declined as a result of two concurrent developments: the rise of anti-Shi'ite terrorist activities in Pakistan and the assassination of Iran's counsel general, Sadeq Ganji, in Lahore in 1990, and subsequently the coming to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
When the Taliban captured the Afghan city of Maza-e-Sharif, they not only massacred thousand of Hazara Shi'ites, they also murdered scores of Iranian diplomats, straining Iran's bilateral ties with Pakistan, which at the time backed the Taliban. When General Pervez Musharraf came to power in 1999, he visited Tehran and promised to address the terrorist activities in Pakistan; subsequently relations between the two countries improved. After the execution of Ganji's assassin by the Pakistani government in February 2001, Iran gained a new level of confidence in Pakistan's determination to curb anti-Shi'ite extremism in that country.
Still, as long as the Taliban remained in power in Kabul, supported by Pakistan, and Iran was committed to backing the anti-Taliban forces, relations between Iran and Pakistan were held hostage to some extent by the developments inside Afghanistan. The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States and the subsequent fall of the Taliban paved the way for the mending of bilateral relations. Immediately after the Taliban's demise, Iran's foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi, paid a two-day visit to Islamabad and reached an understanding with his Pakistani hosts on the situation in Afghanistan. Both sides agreed to assist in the establishment of a broad-based multi-ethnic government in Afghanistan under the United Nations' auspices. Another important turning point in Iran-Pakistan relations transpired with President Mohammad Khatami's visit to Pakistan in December 2002, the first by an Iranian president in 10 years. During the visit, both sides discussed how to improve bilateral relations and regional security, focusing especially on Pakistani-Indian relations, in the light of Iran's declared willingness to mediate between them. As a result of Khatami's visit, Iran and Pakistan signed four agreements and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing their bilateral relationship, mainly in the fields of trade, plant quarantine, science and technology.
In conclusion, Iran's and Pakistan's concerns and interests are interlinked in the new regional and international climate. New problems as well as new opportunities have been created for both countries, affecting their bilateral and multilateral relations, since the events of September 11, 2001. Both countries need to devote more energy to boost their economic trade, enhance their security cooperation, and to identify practical ways to tackle the problems facing the region.

THE PAKISTAN TIMES " Columnist Rehmani Ashfaq !

( Editorial Daily AFTAB)) Dr. Ashfaq Rehmani Incharge Editorial Page " Daily AFTAB +Column from SFCG