Iran and Pakistan pledged their “explicit support” for Kashmir during a meeting between their foreign ministers (FMs)—Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari—in Tehran on Tuesday, wherein they agreed to support “the just cause of Kashmiri Muslims.” Against the backdrop of the recent Prophet Muhammad controversy in India, the duo also agreed to work together to fight against rising Islamophobia across the world.
Bhutto Zardari thanked Amirabdollahian for his support regarding the “illegal occupation” of Kashmir and added that Pakistan is “grateful for [the] Iranian leadership’s steadfast support” on the matter. The Iranian release, however, did not explicitly name India when stating its support for the cause.
Minister of Foreign Affairs @BBhuttoZardari speaks on diplomatic relations with Iran to enhance areas within trade, investment, border management, culture and education cooperation, and import of additional electricity from Iran. pic.twitter.com/dnJz26ivrI
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) June 14, 2022
While Pakistan’s new government has expressed willingness to engage with India on the issue of Kashmir, it has called for several preconditions before diplomatic talks can resume. Last month, Pakistani Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif called on New Delhi to reverse its decision to revoke Article 370 of its constitution before his country engages in negotiations with India.
Sharif called India’s 2019 decision to revoke Article 370, which gave Kashmir special status, an attempt to further “brutalise” the Kashmiri people, change the region’s demographics, and deny the Kashmiris their right to self-determination.
Today in Tehran, I hosted my dear brother FM @BBhuttoZardari.
— H.Amirabdollahian امیرعبداللهیان (@Amirabdolahian) June 14, 2022
Relations between 🇮🇷🇵🇰, two great nations of the Muslim world, have always been promising & flourishing.
We had important exchanges on political & security issues, tourism, pilgrimage, trade, sanctions removal & Afg. pic.twitter.com/envJWHTbcq
Bhutto Zardari and Amirabdollahian also underscored the importance of fighting Islamophobia and xenophobia. “The derogatory remarks made by BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] officials in India have deeply offended Muslims across the world,” the Pakistani FM said, adding, “It is time for [the] international community to show a common resolve against xenophobia, intolerance and incitement to violence on the basis of religion or belief.”
Last week, Iran summoned the Indian ambassador to lodge a formal protest over comments on the Prophet by media officials from India’s ruling party.
The pair also said they are willing to work closely to ensure Afghanistan’s stability. “We are worried about stability and security in Afghanistan. Our interests hinge on the establishment of peace and security in Afghanistan,” the Iranian FM said.
He added that the international community needs to support Afghanistan by releasing additional humanitarian funds and called on the Taliban to form an “inclusive government and also take more steps regarding the fight against terrorism.”
Bhutto Zardari noted that “Pakistan and Iran were directly affected by conflict and instability in Afghanistan,” as both sides host millions of Afghan refugees and as such have a “vested interest in a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.”
President Raisi to @BBhuttoZardari : #Iran has the necessary capacity to meet #Pakistan's oil, gas and electricity needs https://t.co/xKppc2l8hN pic.twitter.com/RNpyBKJ7Nx
— Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@Iran_GOV) June 14, 2022
The Iranian FM also brought up the issue of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) resolution against Iran and said that the decision complicated talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. “Iran has never shied away from the negotiating table and […] will not stay away from the logic of diplomacy,” he stressed.
The IAEA released a report last week censuring Iran for failing to inform the agency of uranium traces found at three sites. The report, drafted by the United States (US), the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, was the first time since 2020 that the agency formally condemned Iran.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who is visiting Tehran met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amriabdolalhian at Iran’s Foreign Ministry.https://t.co/sn7OIwQZkK pic.twitter.com/5S6zKdVtnN
— Iran Foreign Ministry 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) June 14, 2022
They also discussed the conflicts in Ukraine, Yemen, and Palestine.
Following his meeting with Amirabdollahian, Zardari met with President Ebrahim Raisi, who said that “Iran has the necessary capacity to meet Pakistan’s oil, gas, and electricity needs.” Raisi emphasised that Tehran considers “no limits for expansion of relations with Islamabad” and expressed “readiness for improvement of comprehensive ties with Pakistan, including in exporting oil, gas and electricity.”
In addition, Raisi called for improving cooperation in the security and commercial fields.
Zardari’s visit to Iran comes just days after Amirabdollahian travelled to India and met with PM Narendra Modi and his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar.