ISLAMABAD – The outgoing year (2018) has seen major developments inIran-Pakistan ties and the relations between the two neighboring statesimproved in all areas especially the defense field.

Iran and Pakistan have been enjoying strong brotherly relations since thecreation of Pakistan way back in 1947. Since then the two countries havealways been supporting each other on world issues.

The year saw many visits from top Iranian and Pakistan leaders to eachother states which paved the way for further enhancement of bilateral ties.

The year also witnessed change of government in Pakistan through democraticprocess, however, the new government under Prime Minister Imran Khan alsoexpressed desire to strengthen ties with the Islamic Republic.

In the month of January, International Media Conference was held inPakistani port city of Karachi with the participation of Iran’s IslamicRepublic News Agency (IRNA). Journalists from more than 24 countriesattended the four-day conference organized by the Pakistan MediaDevelopment Foundation (PMDF).******In the same month former National Security Advisor of Pakistan Nasser KhanJanjua visited Iran and met with Iranian leaders to enhance security anddefense cooperation. Both sides during the visit also discussed regionaland international developments. He also attended Tehran SecurityConference.******During the month of January the then Pakistan’s Minister for DefenseProduction, Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain visited Iran on atwo-day official visit. He met senior Iranian officials to discuss ways forpromotion of defense cooperation and bilateral ties between the twocountries.******The then Pakistani Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani and Speaker NationalAssembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also visited Iran in January to attend the 13thsession of the Parliamentary Union of Islamic Countries (PUIC) in Tehran.******In January a railway delegation from Iran visited Pakistan and discussedthe ways to enhance cooperation in railways with special focus on resumingfortnightly passenger train services between the two countries.Both sides also discussed Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) Train where Pakistan Railways requested theIranian side to persuade ECO secretariat for the revival of ECO train toIstanbul.******In the same month a delegation from Iran’s Urmia Chamber of Commerce,Industries, Mines and Agriculture visited Pakistan to boost Iran-Pakistaneconomic ties.******In February an Iranian delegation led by Seyed Hamid Mousavi care taker ofdepartment of pilgrimage and tourism of Iran’s Khorasan Razavi provincevisited Pakistan to promote Iran-Pakistan ties in the field of religiousand commercial tourism.******In the same month an exhibition of Iranian Islamic arts by Iranian artistsHossain Ali Esfandiari and his daughter Atena Esfandiari was held inPakistan’s Rawalpindi.The exhibition was organized by Iranian Cultural Center (Khana-e-Farhang)in Rawalpindi in collaboration with Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) to markthe 39th anniversary of the glorious victory of the Islamic Revolution ofIran.******In the same month 9th meeting of the Road Committee of Transit TransportCoordination Council (TTCC) of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)member-states, including Iran was held in Islamabad.The three-day meeting reviewed progress on the implementation of theECO-approved programs/projects and consider proposals for new agreements.******In February a week-long Iranian Film Festival featuring differentinternationally acclaimed productions was held in Pakistan’s port city ofKarachi. The festival was organized by Iranian Cultural Center in Karachiand screened the films dubbed into Urdu language.******In the same month Iran’s Air Force Commander Brigadier-General HassanShahsafi visited Pakistan and had useful meetings with Pakistani militaryand civil leadership to enhance ties between the two countries in defensesector.******In February Chief of Iran’s Anti-Narcotics Campaign Police GeneralMohammad-Masood Zahedian visited Pakistan to attend a meeting of policeforces in Islamabad.******In the month of March Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visitedPakistan. During the visit, Zarif participated in the meeting ofIran-Pakistan Joint Business Forum in Islamabad.The Iranian foreign minister held meetings with the then Prime MinisterShahid Khaqan Abbasi, his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif, InteriorMinister Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qamar JavedBajwa, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and National SecurityAdvisor of Pakistan Nasser Khan Janjua during his stay in Islamabad.He also addressed a seminar on ’70 Years of Pakistan-Iran Relations andFuture Prospects’ at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).******In March Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) of Pakistan signed aMemorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iran’s Tehran University to promotecollaborative partnership in the educational fields.******In the same month Iranian cultural attaché in Islamabad Shahabeddin Daraeiand the then Advisor to Pakistani prime minister on national history andliterary heritage Irfan Siddiqui held a meeting and emphasized developmentof bilateral cultural cooperation.******In March Former Foreign Minister of Iran and Head of Strategic Council onForeign Relations Seyed Kamal Kharazi visited Pakistan and delivered usefullectures at various think tanks on importance of Iran-Pakistan ties.He also met with former president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, ex-governorof Pakistan’s southern Sindh province Muhammad Zubair and the thenPakistan’s National Security Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Nasser KhanJanjua.******In April Consulate General of Iran in Pakistan’s port city of Karachiorganized a traditional Iranian food festival with a purpose ofhighlighting the Iranian culture and to celebrate the New Iranian Year.******In the same month Iran’s Minister of Road and Urban Development AbbasAkhundi, heading a high-ranking delegation, paid a three-day official visitto Pakistan. He met senior Pakistani officials and also visited KarachiPort Trust (KPT) to explore avenues of cooperation with Pakistan.******In April Governor of Khorasan Razavi Province Dr. Ali Raza Rasheedianvisited Pakistan. He met with Managing Director, Pakistan TourismDevelopment Corporation Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor to enhance cooperationbetween Iran and Pakistan in tourism sector.******Pakistan Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi visited Iranin April to represent Pakistan in the 6th Indian Ocean Naval Symposium. Thefour-day symposium took place in Iranian capital Tehran from April 22 to 25.******In May Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost met with the thenChief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab Province Shahbaz Sharif and discussedbilateral cooperation and international political situation.******In May Iranian delegation led by chairman of National Foreign PolicyCommittee Ardeshair Nourian visited Pakistan to attend a session ofdrafting committee of Speakers Conference in Islamabad.******In the same month two-day International Conference of News Agencies (ICNA)was held in Pakistan’s Islamabad. Mr. Fardin Pazouki, Director General,Foreign News Desk at Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) led the Iraniandelegation in the conference.******In June Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost met with Chairmanof Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani. Both sides agreed to enhanceparliamentary cooperation and exploit potential for increasing economiccollaboration to boost bilateral ties.******In June Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the then Pakistani PresidentMamnoon Hussain met on the sidelines of 18th Shanghai CooperationOrganization (SCO) two-day summit meeting in the Chinese city of Qingdao.Rouhani during the meeting said Iran welcomes development of all-outrelations with its brotherly and friendly neighbor, Pakistan.******In the same month Pakistan Navy Sea King helicopters successfully rescuedcrew members of an Iranian boat stuck in the North Arabian Sea (NAS) due toengine failure.******In June Iranian Director of Asia and Pacific Center for Development ofDisaster Information Management (APDIM) visited Pakistan to attend the 6thmeeting of regional technical group of Disaster Management ConfidenceBuilding Measures (DM-CBM) of Heart of Asia, Istanbul Process in Islamabad.******In the month Pakistan’s Under 19 volleyball team visited Tehran toparticipate in Asia-Pacific championship.******Former Chief of General Staff of Pakistan Lieutenant General Bilal Akbarvisited Iran in June and held important meetings with Iran’s Army CommanderBrigadier General Abdolkarim Mousavi and Commander of the IslamicRevolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force Mohammad Pakpour.******In July Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardost met with ActingChairman of Pakistani Senate Saleem Mandviwalla to discuss bilateral ties.Saleem Mandviwalla on the occasion said that his country is keen to seerapid progress on the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project and thegovernment should pursue the project as it is in the interest of thecountry.******In the same month Iranian Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Major GeneralMohammad Hossein Bagheri along with a high level delegation paid athree-day-long visit to Pakistan.He met with Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa,the then President Mamnoon Hussain, and former Foreign Minister ofPakistan, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasiand Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair MahmoodHayat.He also paid a visit to Pakistan-Afghan Torkham border to examine bordermanagement mechanism between the two countries.******In July Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost met PakistanTekreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Chairman Imran Khan to congratulate him over hisparty’s victory in general elections of the country and said that Irandesires strong multi-dimensional ties with Pakistan.******In August President Hassan Rouhani phoned Prime Minister-designate andChairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Ahmad Khan and said thatrelations between Iran and Pakistan are beyond normal level and both sideswill spare no effort to further broaden their ties.******In the same month Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif paid atwo-day official visit to Pakistan to explore new avenues of cooperationwith the new government in Pakistan. The Iranian minister was the first topforeign diplomat to visit Pakistan after the new government came into power.During his tour to Pakistan, Zarif held talks with Prime Minister ImranKhan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, National Assembly Speaker AsadQaiser and Finance Minister Asad Umar. He also held a meeting with PakistanChief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the army headquarters.******In September during a meeting with Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan MehdiHonardoost, Pakistan’s Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs(EAD) Asad Umar said Pakistan is committed to enhance economic ties withIran and remove the trade barriers.******In the same month a three-day Health Asia International Exhibition andConference was held in Pakistan’s Karachi with Iran’s presence.******In September Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami in aphone call congratulated his Pakistani counterpart Pervez Khattak on hisappointment as the new defense minister of Pakistan. Both ministers urgedpromotion of mutual cooperation for regional stability and security.******In the month Pakistan Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources GhulamSarwar Khan said Pakistan is fully committed to implement Iran-Pakistan(IP) gas pipeline project without any foreign pressure. He said this whilespeaking to Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost who called onhim at his office in Islamabad.******In September Pakistan strongly condemned terrorist attack on militaryparade in Ahvaz, Iran, which killed at least ten people and injured morethan 20 others.Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal in his tweet message said,’Our deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones inthis heinous attack. “Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms andmanifestations”, he said.Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser also said the Parliament andPakistani nation express complete solidarity with the people of Iran andParliament of Iran and strongly condemn the gruesome terrorist attack on amilitary parade in Ahvaz.He expressed these views in a letter written to Speaker of Parliament ofIran, Ali Larijani.******In the same month Speaker of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ProvincialAssembly Mushtaq Ghani invited Iranian investors to invest in thenorthwestern province of Pakistan.He said this during a meeting with an Iranian delegation led by the ConsulGeneral of Iran in northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, Muhammad BaqirBeigi.******In September Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost met withPakistan’s Minister of Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi and discussedways to expand their bilateral cooperation in maritime affairs.******In October Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan andAmbassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost met to further strengthentrade between the two countries.******In October a three-day International Tourism Expo 2018 was held inPakistan’s Karachi with the participation of Iran.******In the same month Iranian 57th naval flotilla docked at the Pakistani portof Karachi for goodwill-cum-training visit.Captain Amir Hosseini Aranai, the commander of the Iranian flotilla in aninterview with the Islamic Republic News agency (IRNA) said the visit wasin line with great maritime tradition and to further strengthen theexisting warm and cordial relations between Iran and Pakistan.******In the month of October Governor of Pakistan’s northwestern KhyberPakhtunkhwa Province Shah Farman during a meeting with Consul General ofIran in Peshawar, Muhammad Baqir Beigi emphasized on expansion of ties withIran in all sectors especially in economic area.******In October Pak-Iran trade session was held in Pakistan’s southwestern cityof Quetta. Representatives of customs, security forces and other officialsfrom Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan and Pakistan’s Balochistan Provinces tookpart in the two-day meeting.******In the month Commander of the Ground Forces of the Islamic RevolutionGuards Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour visited Pakistan todiscuss with Pakistani officials the fate of abducted Iranian border guards.On October 16, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) saidterrorists had kidnapped the Iranian forces, including local Basijvolunteer forces and border guards, near the town of Mirjaveh on thePakistani border.******Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli in a telephoneconversation with his Pakistani counterpart Shehryar Afridi in October soonafter the incident called for suppression of terrorists’ bastion alongIran-Pakistan borders.******Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a phone conversation withhis Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi traced the fate of theborder forces of Iran.******Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also visited Pakistan inOctober to discuss border guards’ incident with Pakistan.Zarif during the visit had meetings with Prime Minister of Pakistan ImranKhan, his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Pakistan Chief ofArmy Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.******In November Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost met withSpeaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly Asad Qaiser to invite him for theSpeakers Conference on Terrorism and Regional Connectivity, which is to beheld in Tehran from December 7-8.******In the month Pakistan Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad during ameeting with Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost had said thatrailway link between Iran and Pakistan through Quetta-Taftan section isimperative for bilateral ties.Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad added that upgrading Quetta-Taftan railway wouldfurther enhance Pakistan-Iran relations. Iranian Ambassador also stressedupon importance of Quetta-Taftan section.******Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry inNovember had also stressed the need for strengthening cultural cooperationwith Iran.Talking to the Iranian ambassador Mehdi Honardoost, he said culturalexchanges are not only vital for understanding each other’s values andtraditions but also instrumental to promoting people-to-people contacts.******In November President of Payame Noor University Professor Mohammad RezaZamani visited Pakistan. During the visit he signed MoUs with variousuniversities of Pakistan in fields of science, technology, language andliterature.******In the month Iranian stall established at Pakistan’s foreign ministrycharity bazaar drew a large number of crowd due to putting on display therich Iranian culture and delicious cuisine.******In the month of December the Deputy Coordinator of the Islamic Republic ofIran’s Army, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, visited Pakistan to lead anIranian delegation at four-day 10th International Defense Exhibition andseminar, IDEAS 2018 in Karachi.He held important meetings with Pakistan’s top military leadership anddiscussed ways to enhance defense cooperation.******Pakistan’s Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan at a press briefing inIslamabad in December said that his country is willing to completeIran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project.******In December Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Syed AbbasAraghchi visited Pakistan to participate in the tenth round ofIran-Pakistan Political Consultations in Islamabad.******In the same month Pakistan’s Adviser to Prime Minister for Commerce metwith Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost and discussed ways toincrease bilateral trade.******Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly of Pakistan Asad Qaiser, heading aparliamentary delegation participated in the second conference of heads ofthe six countries’ parliaments to counter terrorism, in Tehran in December.******In December Pakistan hosted 13th Senior Officials Meeting of the TriangularInitiative on drug control started in Islamabad.Iran’s Anti-Narcotics Police Chief Brigadier General Mohammad MasoudZahedian led the Iranian delegation in the two-day meeting.******In the month a three-day 14th Build Asia Exhibition was held in Karachi.Eight Iranian companies took part in the event held at Karachi Expo Center.******In December Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi paid an officialvisit to Iran. He conferred with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad JavadZarif on bilateral ties. The Iranian and Pakistani foreign ministers alsodiscussed the latest regional and international developments.******During the outgoing year many classical Iranian films were screed atPakistan National Institute for Folk and Traditional Heritage’ (Lok Virsa)media center in Islamabad. The films attracted good number of crowd. – IRNA