P.M. Sharif and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi meet after inaugurating the Mand-Pishin border market. Photo courtesy PID
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Thursday jointly inaugurated a border market in Balochistan’s Mand town, as well as an electricity transmission line aimed at reviving ties between the neighboring nations.
The marketplace, the first of six along the Pak-Iran border, has been constructed under a 2012 agreement signed by both countries. State-run APP reported that the Mand-Pishin border sustenance marketplace was expected to boost cross-border trade, foster economic growth, and open up new avenues of opportunity for local businesses.
Sharif and Raisi also planted a sapling on the premises of the border market as a gesture aiming at advancing bilateral relationship between the two countries. The prime minister was accompanied by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Power Minister Khurram Dastagir-Khan, and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb. “The joint inauguration is a manifestation of the strong commitment of Pakistan and Iran to uplift the welfare of residents of the neighboring provinces of Balochistan and Sistan-o-Baluchestan, respectively,” read a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
The Gabd-Polan power transmission line, meanwhile, aims to provide 100 megawatts of electricity from Iran to Gwadar daily. APP said it would play a pivotal role in meeting the energy needs of the region. The information minister said the project had been pending since 2009, adding that it had been completed in just four months under the leadership of P.M. Sharif.
In an interview with Iran’s IRNA news agency, the prime minister stressed the importance of enhanced cooperation with Tehran, saying energy projects and border markets showed how vital friendship was between the two countries. Stressing that Iran and Pakistan were brotherly countries bound by deep-rooted religious, cultural, and linguistic ties, he said the governments of both countries were working together for the socio-economic uplift of their peoples.
Sharif said the Mand-Pishin border marketplace and the Gabd-Polan electricity project were “tangible manifestations” of this resolve, hoping they serve as a stepping stone for greater cooperation between the two countries in multiple spheres, especially economically.
During his meeting with Raisi, Sharif resolved that Pakistan would do its best to improve security along the Iranian border. He also extended an invitation to President Raisi to visit Islamabad, which he accepted. The prime minister told journalists that he had discussed solar energy cooperation between the two countries during his meeting with Raisi earlier, adding that delegations from both sides would visit each other to work out the modalities.
Raisi, meanwhile, said Iran desired enhanced cooperation with Pakistan in the energy sector and congratulated the Government of Pakistan on completing the 100MW power transmission project, stressing it would create jobs for residents.