ISLAMABAD, Oct 2: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday said that the Ummah was passing through difficult times, and only through unity in its ranks the Muslim world could help other Muslims who were being subjected to oppression and brutalities.

The president was talking to an Iranian delegation headed by Dr Ali Larijani, chief of Iranian Radio, who is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of minister for information and media development.

The president said that both Pakistan and Iran could together play an effective role in encouraging the Ummah through OIC to help the just causes of the Muslim nations.

The president said that Iran and Pakistan traditionally and historically enjoyed a very close and cordial relationship but he would like to see their relationship turn into a strong bond of brotherhood.

He said Iran enjoyed a strong and respectable position in the region and could play an effective role in convincing India to move towards a just solution of the Kashmir issue.

Leader of the Iranian delegation, Dr Ali, said the Iranian leadership appreciated President Musharraf’s initiatives towards peace in the region and his policies and plans for the progress of Pakistan.

The delegation leader expressed concern over the issue of Kashmir and said that Iran had always adopted a principled stand in this regard and looked forward to an early resolution of this dispute.—APP