RAWALPINDI - Chairman Tehrik Jawanan Pakistan (TJP) Mohammad Abdullah Hamid Gul in a meeting with Iranian Ambassador Ali Hussaini discussed formation of new Afghan government after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Iranian Ambassador Ali Hussaini said that withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan is a victory not for Taliban but for the Islamic world. He said that Iran’s foreign policy is based on wider regional interests and will consider recognising the new government in Afghanistan. The Iranian government will decide soon whether to do so because the Taliban delegation has paid a brief visit to Iran before the conquest of Kabul.
Referring to the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, he said that Iran wants to complete the project soon. On the occasion, Mohammad Abdullah Gul said that humanitarian aid is now urgently needed in Afghanistan while international financial institutions have stopped financial assistance which is a matter of concern. “The Taliban have taken a very soft approach towards women’s education and work, which is a good move, which has greatly improved their image in the outside world,” he said. Referring to the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, Abdullah Gul said that if the project is completed soon, there would be huge progress in trade relations between the two countries, which will meet Pakistan’s energy needs and give Iran a lot of foreign exchange. He said that Pakistan and Iran are neighbouring Islamic countries but the trade volume between them is very small. “If trade volume increases between to $1 billion, then not only the relations between the two countries will improve but the people of two countries will become closer to each other.”