TEHRAN: The first phase of Pakistan’s mediation efforts between Iran and Saudi Arabia were crowned with success when the Iranian leadership assured Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday that they were both prepared to sort out their differences through dialogue.
The three countries would appoint focal persons to resume their interaction. Iran and Saudi Arabia also assured Nawaz that they harboured no animosity against each other. Iran has given its green light for the purpose while Saudi Arabia, which has already given its consent to support Pakistan’s efforts, would be consulted soon.
The prime minister announced this at the Mehrabad Airport at the conclusion of his talks with the leaderships of both countries. He was flanked by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi and Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif.
Nawaz arrived in the Iranian capital from Saudi Arabia after meeting with King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia andother top leaders. He met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and exchanged views on the situation in the region, including tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Talking to the media before leaving for the Swiss city Zurich where he will represent Pakistan in the World Economic Forum (WEF), Nawaz said Pakistan’s efforts for de-escalation of tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran was a “sacred mission”.
Nawaz said he was encouraged by a “positive response” from the leaderships of the two brotherly countries. “We got a positive response from the leaderships of the two countries, who are appreciative of Pakistan’s initiative and efforts,” Nawaz said.
Nawaz said Pakistan had proposed to the Iranian leadership to appoint a focal person on the issue and he would also talk to Saudi Arabia to appoint a focal person. He said Pakistan would also appoint a focal person on the issue so that it could interact with the two brotherly countries through their focal persons to take this process forward.
Nawaz said he was very satisfied with his visit to Saudi Arabia and Iran, adding that Pakistan was making sincere efforts for de-escalation of tension between the two brotherly countries with which it enjoyed close, historic and brotherly ties.
To a question, the prime minister said Pakistan was not acting on anyone’s behest rather it was its own initiative to de-escalate the tension between the two countries. He referred to the Quranic verses which commanded that whenever there was a dispute between two Muslim brothers, it was the duty of other Muslims to help them reconcile.
He said Pakistan was fulfilling its duty of easing the tension between the two Muslim countries. The prime minister recalled that during his second tenure in power, Pakistan had played its role for facilitating a meeting between King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and President Hashmi Rafsanjani of Iran during the OIC Summit in Islamabad in 1997, which led to easing of tensions between the two countries at that time. He said it was a matter of pride that Pakistan was once again mediating between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
About his meetings with the Saudi king and the Iranian president, Nawaz said the Saudi leadership desired good relations with all the countries including Iran, adding that the Iranian leadership had also expressed similar views and appreciated Pakistan’s role in this respect.
To a question, the prime minister said as the Muslim world was facing challenges of extremism and terrorism, there was a need to fight and defeat this “big enemy” through unity and solidarity.
Nawaz had a detailed meeting with the Iranian President Dr. Hasan Rouhani and First Vice President Ishaq Jehangiri earlier while Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, who was also present in the meeting, had separate meetings with Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Hussain Dehqan and National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President Shamiankhawni who later came to the airport to see him off. The prime minister was received earlier by the Iranian defence minister and was seen off for Switzerland by the Iranian Interior Minister Rehman Fazli. http://www.thenews.com.pk/print/92462-Focal-persons-to-be-appointed-to-defus
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