Rehman Malik poses for a photo with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki - AFP photo

TEHRAN Interior Advisor Rehman Malik has held a meeting with Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran as the special envoy of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, PPI reported.

The Iranian President said his country greatly values its relations with Pakistan and that the relations between the two countries will further be enhanced.

Malik, at a meeting with the Iranian Interior Minister, Sadiq Mahsooli Saturday discussed bilateral relations, security issues, drug trafficking and human smuggling.

He also provided two separate lists of Pakistani and Iranian kidnappers to the Iranian Interior Ministry.

Pakistan and Iran have decided to establish a joint task force that will meet each month to manage their border issues more efficiently, Malik told reporters at a press conference in Tehran.

He said that Pakistan greatly values its relationship with Iran and makes efforts to ensure that nothing damages their brotherly ties.

The Iranian ambassador to Pakistan, Mashallah Shakeri, and Pakistan`s ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Bux Abbasi, also attended the press conference.

To a question, Rehman Malik said, `The government of Pakistan has taken every measure possible for the safety of not only Iranian diplomats but also for diplomats from all other countries who are serving their countries in Pakistan.`

He then cited four incidents in which diplomats were kidnapped in Pakistan after they refused to accept the security measures offered to them.

Malik stated that Pakistan has successfully discovered the location of Iranian commercial attache Heshmatullah Atharzadeh, who was kidnapped in Peshawar on November 13, 2008 after a bloody shootout in which his guard was killed, but added that the Pakistani government cannot take an irresponsible action that could put his life in jeopardy.

However, the security forces are weighing their options and will act at the appropriate time, he stated.

Sadeq Mahsouli and Rehman Malik issued a joint statement to work on fight against terrorism, organized crimes, drug and human smuggling, extremism, abduction, money laundering, extortion and evil.

The two counterparts issued the statement in a meeting on Saturday in Tehran during which they called for boosting bilateral ties in all spheres.

The statement reiterated that no element will be allowed to use Iran-Pakistan shared borders for achieving its evil-seeking purposes.

The two sides then called for more talks between officials of the two sides.