Maulana Yasoob Abbas, general secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board, met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New Delhi and called for strengthening ties between India and Iran, his office said in a statement.Abbas welcomed Pezeshkian on behalf of the Shia community in India and handed him a letter seeking closer bilateral relations. He said India and Iran were ancient civilisations with longstanding cultural, intellectual, spiritual and trade links.According to the statement, Abbas sought greater cooperation between the two countries in education, trade, culture, science, technology, connectivity and energy. He expressed hope that bilateral relations would strengthen further under Pezeshkian’s leadership.The Shia cleric also raised concerns over tensions in West Asia and called for de-escalation and restoration of peace and stability in the region.Abbas expressed grief over the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and condemned the killing of children, teachers and other civilians in an alleged attack on Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab.He also condemned terrorism, extremism and violence, saying the Indian Shia community stood for peace, dialogue, humanity and justice.Abbas expressed hope for peace, reconstruction and progress in Iran and said the historical relationship between India and Iran should be further expanded in the coming years
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Separately, Maulana Kalbe Jawad Naqvi, general secretary of the Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind, met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at a programme hosted in his honour at Delhi’s Oberoi hotel, according to a statement issued by Naqvi’s office. Naqvi congratulated Pezeshkian and paid tribute to the courage, resistance and sacrifices of the Iranian people in confronting oppressive forces.During his address, Naqvi spoke about Iran’s growing regional influence and called for further strengthening the friendly ties between India and Iran. He said closer cooperation between the two countries reflected the aspirations of their people. Several prominent personalities from different fields attended the programme.
