ISLAMABAD, Nov 13: Pakistan and Iran on Thursday dismissed a Western media report alleging that Iran had admitted to the IAEA that Pakistan had given Iran assistance for its nuclear programme, saying it was totally baseless.

The matter came up for discussion between the deputy foreign minister of Iran for legal and international affairs Gholam Ali Khoshru, who is on a visit to a number of countries on the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors, and acting foreign secretary of Pakistan Tariq Osman Hyder.

A press release, issued by the foreign ministry here, stated that the two officials recalled that on Aug 29, the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Iran had, in a joint press conference in Islamabad, categorically stated that Pakistan had not assisted Iran’s nuclear programme in any way.

The acting foreign secretary also recalled that the Times of London, which had published the report, had earlier published a similar false allegation, regarding the Iraqi nuclear programme, which had also been declared as without foundation by the IAEA.

These unsubstantiated reports, he said, occurred periodically in some section of the Western media, reflecting what he termed their long standing anti-Muslim bias, the press release said.

During the meeting, the deputy foreign minister of Iran explained in detail measures taken by Iran to resolve outstanding issues with the IAEA.

Mr Tariq said that Pakistan appreciated Iran’s constructive efforts, and expressed the hope that all such issues would be amicably resolved within the context of the IAEA.