‘Zionist regime’ to be wiped out if it attacks Iran again: Raisi

DUBAI/LAHORE/KARACHI: An Israeli attack on Iranian territory could radically change dynamics and could result in being nothing left of the “Zionist regime”, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was quoted as saying on Tuesday by the official IRNA news agency.

Raisi began a three day visit to Pakistan on Monday and has vowed to boost trade between the neighbouring nations to $10 billion a year.

Following his arrival in Lahore on Tuesday, President Raisi said he wanted to address a public gathering during his ongoing visit to Pakistan.

“I wanted to address a public gathering in Pakistan, however, it could not be possible due to some reasons,” said President Raisi as he visited the mausoleum of Allama Muhammad Iqbal in Lahore to pay his respects to the Poet of East.

During the visit, President Raisi said that he did not feel “alienated” in Pakistan, highlighting that the people of the country have a special affinity with Iran.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz warmly welcomed the Iranian president at the Allama Iqbal Airport on reaching Lahore with his delegation.

Federal Minister-in-Waiting Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb accompanied the chief minister. Senator Pervez Rasheed, provincial ministers Azma Zahid Bukhari, Mujtaba Shujaur Rahman, Khawaja Salman Rafiq, Bilal Yasin, Chaudhry Shafey Hussain, chief secretary, inspector general police, Iranian Consul General in Lahore Mehran Mawahid Far and other officers concerned were also present on the occasion.

Maryam Nawaz held a meeting with Raisi at the Governor’s House and both the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhance cultural exchanges and foster people-to-people contacts.

The Punjab chief minister explained the measures taken in the province for socio-economic development and expressed her desire for close engagement with Iranian cities and provinces for mutual benefit and prosperity.

President Raisi appreciated the rich cultural history of the city of Lahore and expressed admiration for the Poet of the East Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, who is revered in Iran as “Iqbal-e-Lahori”.

Later, the Iranian president visited the mausoleum of national poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal. On the arrival of distinguished guests, troops presented them with a guard of honour.

The guest laid a wreath at the shrine and recited Fateha. Raisi paid great tribute to the great philosopher-poet by writing his comments in the guest book at Mazar-i-Iqbal.

The Iranian president praised the teachings of Allama Muhammad Iqbal for the awakening of the Muslim Ummah, self-concept and unity of the Islamic world.

Raisi later visited the Government College University and addressed faculty members and students in the auditorium. A large number of professors and students were present on this occasion including Federal Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada.

Raisi said that the cooperation between Pakistan and Iran in many fields, including energy, would be further increased in future. He said there were deep historical, cultural, religious and cultural ties between the two countries.

The Iranian president said that paying special attention to knowledge and skills and science and technology was the most important need of the hour to achieve a prominent position in the comity of nations. He said our universities were centres of knowledge and research.

He said that Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s poetry was highly appreciated in Iran.

Raisi said that Pakistan and Iran wanted to develop modern centres of knowledge and skills for development of sciences and arts. “The hearts of Iranians always beat with Pakistanis,” he said adding similar sentiments were held for the Iranian people by the Pakistanis.

Pakistan and Iran have strong brotherly relations and the relationship between the two countries would be stronger with time, he said and maintained that the position of Pakistan and Iran regarding Palestine was clear that the solution to the Palestinian problem was necessary for peace and stability in the region.

“The solution to the Palestinian problem is important not only for the Muslim Ummah but for the whole world. Thousands of Palestinians have been martyred in Gaza so far,” he stated.

He appreciated the hospitality during his visit to Pakistan.

Earlier, Government College University Vice Chancellor Dr Shazia Bashir gave a welcome speech and said that the President of Iran was welcome to the Government College. The relationship of friendship and love between the two countries could grow further. At the end of the ceremony, Dr Shazia recited poems in Persian.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, in her meeting with the President Raisi and Iranian First Lady Jamila Alamul Huda in Governor’s House, said: “We want to take Pak-Iran bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture and industry to new heights.” She added: “The history of Pakistan-Iran friendship spans over decades.”

She said Punjab has excellent investment opportunities in the environment-friendly green energy sector. “We are willing to work with Iran on economic projects to eradicate poverty.”

Maryam said: “We will also welcome Iran’s investment in Punjab’s value-added livestock market. Both countries can earn a lot of foreign exchange by establishing FMD zones to export halal meat.”

A lunch was also hosted in honour of the Iranian president and other members of his delegation where the Iranian guests were entertained with the traditional food.

The chief minister thanked President Raisi and First Lady Jamila Alamul Huda for their visit to Lahore. She also congratulated them on the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, and prayed for peace and prosperity of the people of Iran.

The Iranian president and first lady thanked the chief minister for the warm welcome.

Later, President Raisi visited Karachi where Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah held a grand and dignified ceremony at the Chief Minister’s House to welcome the visiting guests.

He eulogised the longstanding ties between Pakistan and Iran as he highlighted that the land of Sindh historically played a significant role in the journey of regional development.

Murad Ali Shah emphasised the honour he felt in welcoming President Raisi, a longstanding friend and benefactor of Pakistan.

Acknowledging the historical relations between the two nations, the Sindh chief minister extended warm regards from the people of Sindh to the Iranian president and his accompanying delegation. He emphasised the deep-rooted religious, academic, cultural, and economic bonds between Pakistan and Iran, which have strengthened over time.

He underscored the pivotal roles played by the late Pakistani leaders Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto in nurturing the ties between Pakistan and Iran. He also lauded President Asif Ali Zardari’s consistent support for Iran and emphasized the importance of Pakistan Peoples Party’s efforts in highlighting the significance of Pakistan-Iran friendship.

Murad Ali Shah stressed the necessity for regional progress through collaboration among all nations, emphasising the crucial need for cooperation in addressing issues like terrorism, illegal trade, climate change and the escalating injustices in Palestine and Kashmir. He urged unity among Muslims to support their Palestinian brethren in their time of need.

Regarding the Kashmir and Palestine issues, the CM reaffirmed Pakistan’s firm stance on advocating for immediate ceasefire in Gaza and resolving the plight of oppressed Kashmiris in accordance with the United Nations resolutions.

Expressing gratitude for Iran’s unwavering support, he emphasised the importance of enhancing relations between the two countries. He assured President Raisi of Sindh’s commitment to strengthening educational, cultural, social, and economic ties with Iran, as well as creating a conducive environment for trade and investment.

The chief minister concluded by inviting Iranian brothers and sisters to explore investment opportunities in Sindh, emphasising the region’s safe and attractive investment climate. He expressed the hope that the journey of regional progress would commence from the soil of Sindh.

In a heartfelt message conveyed in Persian, Murad Ali Shah assured President Raisi that the hearts and minds of the Pakistani people would always remain open to him.

The ceremony at the Chief Minister’s House was attended by more than 900 distinguished guests, including provincial ministers, chief secretary, IG police, provincial secretaries, educationists, experts from various fields, prominent industrialists and members of civil society.

President Raisi delivered a historic address at the event, marking a significant moment in the Pakistan-Iran relationship.

Later, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, accompanied by Sindh CM and members of his cabinet, met the visiting Iranian president at the CM House and discussed the friendly ties between the two countries.

A special convocation ceremony was also held at the Chief Minister’s House to award an honorary degree of doctorate to President Raisi.

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, in his capacity as the chancellor of the Karachi University, awarded the honorary doctorate degree. The Sindh chief minister, members of his cabinet and top provincial authorities attended the special convocation.

Speaking on the occasion, the Sindh governor greeted the KU on the award of honorary degree to the Iranian president. He said that it was a great honour for the KU to confer the honorary degree upon the head of the state of a brotherly Islamic country.

Tessori said the diplomatic ties between Iran and Pakistan were many decades old, as it was his desire that there were similar exemplary ties among the member states of the global Islamic fraternity. He said that he also desired that friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran were further strengthened.

The governor said that in pursuance of the same goal, he had visited several provinces of Iran and met businessmen and industrialists there.

He invited prospective Iranian investors to invest in Pakistan in general and in its economic hub Karachi in particular. He said that Iranian businessmen and investors should take advantage of the special business and investment opportunities available in Pakistan under the regime of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). Tessori said the SIFC provided ideal conditions to foreign investors who are desirous of investing in Pakistan.

He appreciated the role of the Iranian ambassador and consul general in improving friendly relations between Iran and Pakistan. He suggested that an effective policy should be adopted to improve investment ties between the two countries. He said the promotion of investment opportunities in both countries would prove to be beneficial for the Iranian and Pakistani economies.

The governor said that Iran and Pakistan as neighbours, should learn a lot from each other’s experience in different sectors. He said that Iran and Pakistan should further improve their mutual ties in the fields of economy, commerce, education, and health sectors as an exchange of delegations between the two friendly countries should take place to promote these relations.

“We should take advantage of each other’s resources to improve our economy, as improvement in the economic situation would lead to upgrading the standard of living of the people. It is my prayer that the ties between Iran and Pakistan should be further strengthened,” the governor added.

The President of Iran, Dr Ebrahim Raisi, while expressing his resolve to promote Pakistan-Iran ties has said that steps are being taken jointly by the two nations to promote bilateral ties in the political, economic and business arenas.

The visiting Iranian president was addressing a reception held in his honour at the CM House on Tuesday night. He said promotion of the brotherly ties between the two countries would go a long way in ensuring the progress and prosperity of both the Iranian and Pakistani people.

Dr Raisi said that his visit to Pakistan was an ideal opportunity to further strengthen the bilateral ties between Iran and Pakistan. He said that both countries had committed to increasing the volume of bilateral trade to 10 billion dollars annually. He said the historical, civilised, and religious ties between the two neighbouring nations were centuries old. He said the people of both Iran and Pakistan had the desire to work together for peace, security, development and solidarity in the region.

The Iranian president told the audience at the reception that it was agreed upon in his meeting with Pakistan’s President, Prime Minister and top authorities to further strengthen the bilateral ties between the two nations.

He mentioned that Iran had achieved remarkable progress in the fields of science, technology, and industries despite unsuitable circumstances. He told the audience that Iran was willing to share its achievements and capacity for development with Pakistan. He said the two countries had held talks to remove the mutual trade barrier, as different prospects were discussed in this regard.

The Iranian president said that formal trade ties between the two countries were in the best interest of the people living across the border. He said that closer trade ties between the two friendly countries would strengthen the bilateral economic relations. He said that no power on earth could influence the historical ties between the two countries. Dr Raisi said that he had come to Pakistan with a message of peace on behalf of the people and leadership of Iran. He said that the global Islamic fraternity should forge unity and cohesion among its members to tackle the challenges faced by the Islamic countries.

While condemning the Israeli aggression against the oppressed people of Gaza, the Iranian president urged the concerned global agencies to play an effective role in protecting innocent Palestinians from the brazen oppression committed by Israel. He said the liberation of Palestinian land was the foremost objective of the Islamic Ummah. He praised the steadfastness and perseverance shown by the oppressed people of Palestine to defeat the oppressive Zionist forces. He praised the services of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal to protect the Muslims on the Indian subcontinent from colonial exploitation and grant them freedom.

Earlier, a public holiday was announced in Karachi on the occasion of the visit of the Iranian President to the city. A number of main roads in the city were closed on the day as part of the stringent security protocol in place for the visiting head of state.

Earlier, the Sindh governor and chief minister jointly welcomed the Iranian president on his arrival at the Karachi Airport. Member of National Assembly Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Ministers Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani, Syed Sardar Ali Shah and Ali Hassan Zardari were also present at the airport to greet the visiting head of state. Amid tight security measures, the Iranian president was taken to the Mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to pay homage to the founder of Pakistan.