Promotion of 'Farsi' in Pakistan would boost ties with Iran: Pak official

In an exclusive interview with IRNA on the inauguration of 'Hafez Shirazi Corner' at Pakistan National Book Foundation, Irfan Siddiqui said that exemplary relations with Iran, is the utmost priority of Pakistan government.

'Hafez Shirazi Corner', an important Iranian cultural project opened at Pakistan National Book Foundation in Islamabad this week on Monday.

'Event of opening of 'Hafez Shirazi' Corner at Pakistan National Book Foundation is very important and I think such efforts and endeavors would certainly help promote cultural, spiritual, and historical relations between the two countries.'

The Special Assistant to Prime Minister noted that Pakistan has very strong bond with Islamic republic of Iran. “Our literarily heritage is common, Hafez Shirazi, Saadi Shirazi, Jami, Ferdowsi, are popular in Pakistan as Iqbal Lahori is quite popular in Iran,” he said.

The official said that Pakistan government is trying systematically to build the Persian language and Iranian cultural centers in Pakistan and would like to have such centers in Iran also.

“I have just offered to establish Allama Iqbal Corner in any of the universities which the government of Iran may like and also we want to get good literature from Iran both in poetry and prose, history and other relevant fields to get it translated into Urdu and similarly in other regional languages in Pakistan,” said Irfan Siddiqui.

He said, 'We love to have Farsi literature and to translate into local languages and similarly we can recommend books ought to be translated into Farsi language.'

“So the relations in the field of literature, culture, exchange of delegations, and exchange of books would certainly build good relations between these two nations and it can go upto our political relations and it would turn into exemplary relations with Iran which is our utmost priority,” he said.

“There are many institutions in Pakistan like National University of Modern languages from where various students and even elderly persons go and learn Farsi language,” he said.

The official expressing his views said that Pakistani people who have some links and interest in literature cannot go ahead without learning the Farsi language so that is why we are trying to have translations from Persian.

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