Tehran, Islamabad share potential for innovation: Raisi
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi highlighted the potential for collaborative scientific advancements between Iran, Pakistan, and other Eastern nations during a meeting with scientific and cultural elites of Punjab state at GC University Lahore on Tuesday.
President Raisi, in his second-day trip in Pakistan, expressed satisfaction at being in Lahore, a city rich in history and culture.
He emphasized the deep-rooted ties between Iran and Pakistan, describing them as religious, cultural, and civilizational, president.ir reported.
Speaking on the importance of knowledge and scientific production, president Raisi underscored their role in empowering nations and fostering pride, and the need for a synergy between faith and science for individual and societal success and happiness.
Raisi praised Iqbal Lahori as a model scholar, embodying qualities such as knowledge, faith, independence, justice, and humanity.
Touching upon global scientific trends, Raisi criticized the Western monopoly in the field and highlighted the potential for Eastern nations, particularly Pakistan and Iran, to pioneer new innovations.
The president questioned Western claims of freedom of thought, citing instances of student expulsion for supporting oppressed causes such as Palestine.
“What we see in practice is that a large number of students are expelled from the university (in the US) just for supporting the oppressed people of Gaza. Is this called freedom of thought!?” he said.
He denounced Western hypocrisy in defending human rights while supporting actions that violate them, particularly in the case of Palestine.
He expressed confidence in the eventual liberation of Palestine and Al-Quds, condemning Zionist aggression and emphasizing the solidarity of Iran and Pakistan in defending the oppressed.
“We have no doubt that the resistance of the heroic nation of Palestine will liberate Gaza, Palestine and the Al-Quds. We have no doubt that the hatred that has been created in the Islamic world and the world of humanity towards the Zionists and Americans will become the revenge of the nations and the end of the Zionist regime and the end of this child-killing regime,” the president noted.
Pointing to Iran’s recent retaliatory operation against the Israeli military targets, the president said, “If the Zionist regime once again makes a mistake and invades the holy land of Iran, the situation will be different and it is not clear that there will be anything left of this regime.”
He emphasized the importance of mutual understanding between Iran and Pakistan, despite attempts by external forces to undermine their relationship.
During his visit to Lahore, president Raisi paid homage to the late Iqbal Lahori, a revered figure in Pakistan, highlighting Lahore’s significance as a cultural symbol of the country.
Raisi expressed his commitment to strengthening cultural ties between the two nations.
Furthermore, on the second day of his trip to Pakistan, president Raisi held a meeting with Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab State, where they discussed the growing relations between Iran and Pakistan since the Islamic Revolution.
“The Punjab province and the city of Lahore are not just a cultural region, but are rapidly progressing, and I hope... we will witness further acceleration in its cultural, social, and economic development,” Raisi added.
Visiting the tomb of Allama Muhammad Iqbal in Lahore, Punjab, central eastern Pakistani province, president Raisi praised the late Iqbal Lahori’s cultural influence, citing him as a beloved figure among Iranians, known as the “Star of the Eastern Sky” by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed gratitude for president Raisi’s visit to Punjab and his homage to Iqbal Lahori.
She pledged to exert efforts to further enhance Iran-Pakistan relations.
Both sides agreed to expand Persian language education in Pakistan, given the shared cultural background and interest in Persian language in the country.
Raisi affirmed Iran’s readiness to cooperate in this regard, assigning the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance to collaborate with Pakistani authorities to facilitate this initiative.