Pakistan must maintain national unity:Supreme Leader

TEHRAN,Feb.28(MNA) – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that the Pakistani government should seriously deal with all the elements trying to undermine national unity in the country. The Leader made the remarks during a meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in Tehran on Wednesday. Many of the problems facing the Islamic ummah are created by the enemies of Islam, Ayatollah Khamenei noted. And creating discord and divisions in the Islamic ummah is definitely one of the goals of the Zionists and the arrogant powers, he added. Ayatollah Khamenei called the sectarian strife in Pakistan a perilous plague of foreign origin and said the situation is really saddening. The Leader also said Iran is determined to strengthen its economic, political, and cultural ties with Pakistan. He stated that the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project is an important instance of cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad and said that the two countries should resolutely overcome the opposition to the expansion of bilateral ties. The Leader said access to a safe and stable source of energy is of prime importance for all countries, adding, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is the only country in the region that enjoys a reliable source of energy, and we are ready to fulfill Pakistan’s needs in this area.” Zardari said he was delighted to meet Ayatollah Khamenei and emphasized that Pakistan is determined to expand its ties with Iran. He also held a meeting with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday, during which the two insisted that the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project will be completed. Zardari arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and will return to Islamabad today.