Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan underscored friendly and age-old ties with Iran, praising Tehran for its supports for the besieged Muslim people in Kashmir. RNA - "Today, we spoke about the bilateral ties and trade and assistance to each other because Iran and Pakistan enjoy age-old relations, and Pakistan has not yet forgotten Iran's assistance in 1965," Imran Khan said in a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on Sunday.
"I thank the Iranian government for its supports for the Kashmiri people because 8mln Kashmiris have been under siege in the past two months and I appreciate Iran's position on this humanitarian tragedy in India," he added.
Imran Khan said that the main reason for his trip to Iran is preventing the breakout of a new conflict in the region, and added, "No conflict should be kicked off between Iran and Saudi Arabia because its consequences will affect not only the two countries, but also all the region states."
"We believe that differences can be resolved through talks," he added, noting that during his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday he would emphasize Pakistan's initiatives on peace and stability and ending differences and tensions.
Imran Khan also pointed to his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump, and said, "Trump has called on me to be a facilitator for talks between Iran and the US and we discussed today some details about the issue and we know that there are difficulties in this field, but we do not spare any efforts to remove sanctions against Iran and signing the nuclear deal again by all its members."
Back in August, President Rouhani in a phone conversation with Imran Khan had expressed concern about insecurities in Kashmir, stressing the need for Islamabad and New Delhi to find a diplomatic solution to the problem.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always endeavored to prevent tension and chaos in the region and we believe that the Muslim people of Kashmir should be able to exercise their legal rights and interests and live in peace and tranquility," Rouhani said during the phone conversation.
He called on India and Pakistan to show self-restraint to prevent insecurity and killing of innocent people in Kashmir, and said, "The Kashmir issue has no military solution and we should be looking for a diplomatic solution to problems."
Imran Khan, for his part, expressed regret over the saddening incidents for innocent people in Kashmir in violation of the international rules, and said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran as an important country in the region and the Muslim world can play a positive role in resolving the Kashmir issue."
847/940