Top Iranian general meets Pakistan PM, military chief

He was speaking in a Wednesday meeting with the Chairman of Iran’s Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mohammad Bagheri.

Imran Khan called the borders of the two countries the borders of “peace and friendship” and stressed that strengthening the security of common borders is very important.

The Pakistani prime minister expressed satisfaction with the presence of the high-ranking Iranian military delegation in Islamabad and highlighted the upward path in bilateral ties.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Pervez Khattak and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were also present in the meeting. Imran Khan said his meeting last month with Iran’s President Ibrahim Raeisi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Dushanbe, provided more impetus for the development of bilateral cooperation, which had important implications. The Pakistani prime minister also reiterated his country’s commitment to strengthening bilateral trade relations and increasing economic and energy cooperation with Iran. Imran Khan also praised Iran’s strong support for the Muslims of Kashmir.

Imran Khan also spoke of the latest developments in Afghanistan, saying Iran and Pakistan, as Afghanistan’s neighbors, have a direct role to play in peace and stability in the war-torn country.

Imran Khan urged the international community to interact positively with Afghanistan, provide immediate humanitarian assistance and take steps to prevent Afghanistan’s economic collapse.

The Pakistani prime minister also invited Iran’s president to visit Pakistan.

Major General Mohammad Bagheri also met with General Nadim Reza, Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Pakistani Army, to discuss the development of military and defense relations between the two countries. Bagheri and Reza discussed a wide range of issues, including increasing co-operation in border security, counter-terrorism and security co-operation.

In talks with Pakistan’s Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, General Bagheri examined the latest situation of relations in military, security and strategic dimensions.

Bagheri also examined the strategies for further development and strengthening of relations with Pakistan. The two sides also underlined the need to work together to find common solutions to the challenges facing the Islamic Ummah, especially the issues of Afghanistan, Yemen and many other problems of Muslims that stem from US intervention in other countries.