Badar appreciates President's resolve to complete Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline

      LAHORE, Sept 2 (APP): Leader of the House in the Senate and Secretary
General of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Jehangir Badar has said that the
reaffirmation of the resolve expressed by the President of Pakistan Asif Ali
Zardari in Tehran during his visit for the completion of the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline project without taking into account for foreign pressure is both appreciable and compatible to our vital strategic and economic interests.
      He said the completion of the project will greatly help in meeting gas
shortage of the energy starve country beside giving boost to diplomatic
relations between the two neighborly Muslim countries, said a statement issued here on Sunday.
      He underscored the importance of realizing the full potential of trade
between the two countries which at present is almost 1/10th of the total
according to one study defying their common history, traditions, cultural
affinities and the neighborhood entailing most sought after positive dynamics.
 These positives should be capitalized on fully to increase trade volume for the benefit of the people of the two countries which could easily touch the level from about half billion dollars to two billions of dollars.
      He said that the geographical proximity was such a big advantage for
increasing trade to billions of dollars between the two countries. By taking
steps of currency swap, rationalization of the tariff and encouraging the
business community of the two countries to meet regularly would make it
possible to achieve the target of 2 billion dollars. He agreed with the
findings of the that `trade inhibiliting facilities' were largely responsible for holding the business community of the two countries back to increase  the trade volume in leaps and bounds.
      He said that President Asif Ali Zardari's meeting with the Iranian
President and other leaders underscored the importance of focusing on this
subject as well while their top priority remained fighting the scourge of
terrorism that posed a greater threat to the peace and stability of the
region.
      He said the warmth and the hospitality extended by the Iranian
Government to the President and the Chairman Bilawal Zardari Bhutto and the
members of the delegation during the recent visit clearly manifested matching eagerness to enhance co-operation in multifaceted fields.
      Expressing his views on the strategic imperatives, the leader of the
House in the Senate said that security and the prosperity of the two countries were interlinked with each other because the security of Iran was Pakistan's security and similarly Iran's security is Pakistan's security.
      He said that the scourge of terrorism was the worst enemy of the two
countries and the Iranian people and the government was fully cognizant of the menace and shared with Pakistan the urgency for the elimination of the evil thoroughly and comprehensively through mutual co-operation at strategic and diplomatic levels.
      He said that Pakistan under the democratic government had embarked upon improving its relations with the immediate neighbors and beyond and this paradigm shift in our foreign policy  will accrue enormous dividends in future fore Pakistan and the region as a whole in terms of security, stability and prosperity.
      Jehangir Badar highly appreciated the generous support of Iran during
the earthquake of 2005 and two devastating floods in Pakistan  that made  big difference in mitigating he suffering of the flood and earthquake victims.