Saudi-Iran accord to promote religious diplomacy: Pakistani official

Tehran, IRNA – A Pakistani official has said that the restoration of the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran can increase promotion of religious diplomacy in the Islamic world.

The Islamic world especially the regional nations are happy with the rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran, said Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, who is the Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Pakistan for the Middle East and the central chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council, told IRNA on Wednesday.

The scholar pointed to the serious determination of Saudi Arabia and Iran to pay heed to reciprocal considerations and cooperation in line with guaranteeing common interests and to help enhance regional peace and security, noting that Pakistan along with regional and world nations welcomed the Tehran-Riyadh agreement, and Islamabad appreciated China’s role in facilitating the important process.

Ashrafi went on to say that Iran and Saudi Arabia are two powerful wings of the Islamic world, so they can do numerous things to defend the regional nations, including Palestine and Kashmir.

The Pakistan Ulema Council is prepared to have close interactions with religious scholars in Iran and Saudi Arabia with the aim of utilizing common capacities as well as the results of the Tehran-Riyadh agreement, he said, adding that the development will definitely help promote religious diplomacy in the Islamic world.

The Pakistani official also lauded the constructive approach of the Iranian scholars in denouncing extremism in particular the significant decree of Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei regarding the need for respecting the sanctities of the Islamic sects.

According to the official, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are capable of putting forward joint cooperation along with other Muslim nations to find commonalities and help remove misunderstandings.

The Pakistan Ulema Council is also ready to organize mutual meetings with Iranian religious scholars or hold a tripartite gathering in the presence of Saudi, Iranian, and Pakistani scholars in order to improve coordination among leaders of the Islamic world, he argued.

On March 10, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia issued a joint statement in Beijing announcing that Tehran and Riyadh would resume their diplomatic relations after some seven years.