Pakisatn\'s Khybar Prov to expand relations with Iran\'s Fars Prov

Visiting Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan Ameer Haider Khan Hoti called for expansion of relations with Iran’s Fars Province here Wednesday. Heading a Pakistani delegation to Iran, he added that Fars Province of Iran has good capacities for expansion of relations with Pakistan.  “Brother Country of Iran has a special position among Pakistan\'s friends in the world,” the official underlined.  Haider Khan Hoti also noted that since many famous scholars of the world history have grown up in Shiraz, the beautiful Iranian city has a rich gloabl culture and history.  He emphasized on the realization of agreements in the economic sphere between Tehran and Islamabad and invited Iran and Fars Province officials to visit Pakistan.  There is a long history of contacts and mutual influence between the two nations of Iran and Pakistan.  In the 1980s Pakistan and Iran both opposed the Soviet occupation in Afghanistan and coordinated their covert support for the Afghan Mujahedeen.  Trade between the two countries has been increasing ever since the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.  Since Iran has no diplomatic relations with the United States aver since 1981, the Iranian interest in the United States is represented by IRI Intersts Section of the Pakistan Embassy in Washington.  The Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline is currently under discussion. It could be a major economic development among the three nations.  Although the Iran-Pakistan pipeline, as a key part of the agenda of the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) talks, was originally meant to have India as its terminal location, but New Delhi has not been able to make a firm commitment on the project to date.  Iran has already built its portion of the gas pipeline up to the Pakistani border. It is expected to begin supplying gas to Pakistan by the middle of 2014.