IRNA � Pakistan�s Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs paying homage to deceased ex-president of Iran and the Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said that he always paid very special attention to Iran-Pakistan relations.


In an interview with IRNA after signing the condolence book at the embassy of Iran, Sartaj Aziz said that Ayatollah Hashemi had a great vision for the problems faced by the Muslim Ummah and he always talked very forcefully and passionately about the importance of unity of the Muslim Ummah.

The official said that in his entire tenure as President of Iran Ayatollah Hashemi paid very special attention to Iran-Pakistan relations. �I was witness twice to that during high level visits to Iran one with former Pakistani President Ghulam Ishaq Khan and one with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to participate in ECO summit,� he said.

The foreign adviser went on to say that Ayatollah Hashemi was very specific and very forceful in emphasizing the role of transport and communication in strengthening relationship between Iran and Pakistan and the ECO countries.

He added that during his tenure Iran made a remarkable progress in many fields so his role both as a leader of Iran in the regional context and in the global context will always be remembered very positively and with great deal of admiration and affection.

�We wish him eternal peace in paradise and we wish his family and people of Iran would bear this irreparable loss with fortitude and grace,� he said.

Earlier Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif expressed deep grief over demise of Ayatollah Rafsanjani and praised him as a symbol of reconciliatory peace efforts at the international level.