By Muhammad Luqman
A high-level Iranian armed forces delegation has arrived in Islamabad on a three-day visit to Pakistan on the invitation of Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of armed forces.
The delegation is led Chief of General Staff Iranian Armed Forces Major General Dr Mohammad Bagheri. The delegation visited the General Headquarters (GHQ) and held a meeting with the country’s top defence officials.
During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security, defence cooperation and Pak-Iran border management were discussed, added the Army’s media wing.
Pakistan, Iran agree to deny exploitation of border by terrorists
General Bajwa emphasised the need to further enhance military to military cooperation between the two armed forces and said that enhanced Pakistan-Iran cooperation will have a positive impact on peace and security in the region.
General Bagheri also pledged to keep working for better relations between the country and condemned the recent terror attacks in Pakistan.
According to an Iranian newspaper, Tehran Times, this is the first visit by the chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces to Pakistan over the past 40 years.
On July 11, Pakistan hosted an unprecedented meeting of heads of intelligence agencies from Russia, China and Iran to discuss counter terrorism cooperation, with particular focus on the buildup of Islamic State in turmoil-hit Afghanistan.
In November, General Bajwa made the first visit to Iran by a Pakistani army chief in almost three decades. He met with Iranian leaders to further enhance cooperation between the two countries on economic and defence issues. They also exchanged views on the Afghan situation, the growing threat of the Islamic State (IS) in the region and Pak-Iran border security.
