Najjar’s visit gets wide coverage in all major Pakistani newspapers

The visit of Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar got wide coverage in all major Pakistani newspapers. Najjar wound up his two-day visit to Pakistan during which he held meetings with Pakistan’s top political leadership. The objective of his visit was to hand over humanitarian aid to Pakistani flood victims and to enhance cooperation between Iran and Pakistan on security issues. Daily Dawn reported that Iran has reiterated its continued support for Pakistan in overcoming challenges confronting the two countries and its desire for implementation of all development projects the two countries had agreed to undertake. The statement was made by Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar during a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari. “Iran will continue to partner with Pakistan to overcome existing challenges faced by the two countries,” president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar quoted the visiting minister as saying. President Zardari said promotion of regional and inter-regional connectivity was a key to the socio-economic development of the people of the area and Iran had a major role to play along with Pakistan due to the two countries’ geo-strategic location. Talking after his meeting with Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Najjar said Pakistan was not alone at this time of test. “We have also agreed to jointly look after the common border and work in collaboration with each other in the war against terror.” He said a cooperation agreement would be signed soon. Rehman Malik said both countries had agreed not to allow the use of their soil against each other and to jointly move to cleanse the region of terror. He said the two sides had discussed issues ranging from border management and human smuggling to cooperation in the war against terrorism. He said Iran had closed the border with Pakistan because of increasing human smuggling through the route. Express Tribune said that President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the promotion of intra- and inter-regional connectivity was key to the socioeconomic development of the people of this region and that Iran had a major role to play along with Pakistan because of their geostrategic locations. Zardari made the statement in a meeting with the Interior Minister of Iran Mostafa Mohammad Najjar. During the meeting, Interior Minister Najjar said that Iran was equally eager for materialisation of all mutual projects that have been agreed upon by the leadership of the two countries. He said that Iran would continue to partner with Pakistan to overcome existing challenges faced by the two countries. Daily ‘The News’ reported that President Asif Ali Zardari has said Pakistan attaches high priority to the early completion of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline as well as the 1,000MW Taftan-Quetta power transmission line. He was meeting the Interior Minister of Iran, Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, who called on him at President House. Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said Iran would donate $100 million for the rehabilitation of rain victims. Najjar thanked the president for the meeting and conveyed the sympathies of the Iranian leadership with the people of Pakistan over the devastation caused by recent rains. The News also reported that visiting Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said Iran and Pakistan are two 'key and influential” Muslim countries in the region, reiterating the significance of improving mutual relations in various fields. The Iranian minister said this in a meeting with Interior Minister Rehman Malik here. Malik lauded Iran’s positive efforts for Pakistan’s progress and called for strengthening cooperation with Tehran in all fields. Daily Times said that the interior ministers of Pakistan and Iran have vowed to work together for regional peace and stability besides agreeing to cooperate with each other on the issues of security and border management. Iran’s Interior Minister Mustafa Muhammad Najjar called on his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik at interior ministry. During the meeting the two sides reiterated not to allow their soils to be used against each other. Addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, Rehman Malik said that they had discussed matters of mutual interest and agreed to cooperate with each for border management. Mustafa Najjar said that he had come to Pakistan on the invitation of Rehman Malik and was thankful to him for that. He said visits of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to Iran were a turning point for bolstering relations between the two countries. In another meeting, talking to Interior Minister of Iran Mustafa Muhammad Najjar at the presidency, the President Asif Ali Zardari said the two countries needed to further deepen cooperation in all areas particularly trade, energy, security, communication and infrastructure. ‘The News’ in another report said that Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has called for expediting energy projects already agreed upon with Iran to help Pakistan meet its energy requirements. He was talking to Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, Interior Minister for Iran, who called on him at the Prime Minister’s House. Interior Minister Najjar assured the prime minister that Iran would make all efforts to execute and complete various projects in the pipeline. He also conveyed the Iranian leadership’s readiness to support Pakistan in flood relief, reconstruction and energy related projects to ensure peace and cooperation in the border areas of the two countries. Daily times in another report said Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has called for expediting energy projects already agreed upon in cooperation with Iran to help the country meet its energy requirements. He was talking to Iran’s Interior Minister Mustafa Muhammad Najjar, who called on him at the Prime Minister's House. Najjar assured the prime minister that Iran would make all efforts to execute and complete various projects in the pipeline. He said unity between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan could contain threats to these countries and the region. In separate meeting, Iranian Interior Minister Mustafa Muhammad Najjar met his counterpart Rehman Malik. Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that Pakistan and Iran would continue their collective efforts for elimination of the scourge of terrorism from the region. Daily ‘Frontier Post’ reported that Iran’s Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar has handed over 55 tons of aid to Pakistani officials in Karachi. Iran has announced the aid of 100 million dollars for the rehabilitation of flood stricken people. Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, talking to media after holding a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, said that Iran will not leave Pakistan in difficult times. ‘The News’, daily said that an Iranian delegation led by Interior Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mostafa Mohammad Najar has arrived at the Karachi airport along with a plane of relief goods for the rain-hit people of Sindh province. The delegation was received by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, provincialministers and senior bureaucrats at the airport. Najar stated that during last year’s floods in Pakistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran had supplied assistance for the flood affected people. The Iranian government has released assistance of $ 100 million for relief while, the Iranian people and the government will also coordinate and cooperate for the rehabilitation process of the rain affected people. Syed Qaim Ali Shah added that Iran and Pakistan had old brotherly relations and last year also, the Iranian government has extended assistance of $100 million. Daily Dawn in a report said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had received Interior Minister of Iran Mostafa Mohammad Nijjar with consignment of relief goods sent by the government of Iran for its distribution among flood-affected people of the province. The Iranian interior minister along with a 20-member delegation arrived in the metropolis to hand over the consignment containing food items, tents, medicines and mineral water bottles for the rain- and flood-affected people of Sindh.