President Asif Ali Zardari called on the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei here on Saturday and discussed various challenges faced by the Muslim Ummah and the need to bring unity in their ranks to effectively tackle the problems.
During the meeting held here in the Iranian capital on the sidelines of International Conference on Global Fight Against Terrorism, President Zardari and the Iranian supreme leader also exchanged views on bilateral, regional and global issues of concern besides the fight against militancy and the enhanced bilateral co-operation between Iran and Pakistan.
President Zardari said that Pakistan attaches great importance to its cordial equation with Iran and regards Iran as an important friend and player in the region, adding that the ties between the two countries are rooted in historical, cultural and religious bonds.
He said that Pakistan accords priority to deepen and strengthen regional engagements for the stability, peace, development and shared prosperity of the region. The President said that our approach on ongoing developments in North Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf region was based on the principles of respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states and that of non-intervention and non-interference.
The President said that unfortunately, the Islamic world was, once again, passing through a period of instability and turbulence. The Organisation of Islamic Conference could play a decisive role in dealing with the challenges presently confronting the Ummah, he said.
Peace, stability and order in the Islamic world was extremely important and needs to be safeguarded at all costs, he emphasised. Those who were present during the meeting included President's daughter Ms Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain, Pakistan's Ambassador in Iran Khalid Aziz Babar and spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar.
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