Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – March 13, 1995

I packed the suitcase to travel to Pakistan. At seven o'clock I went to the hospital to visit Ahmad Agha; They have become a little hopeful. An anesthetist doctor came from London and said that there are cases where the brain returned to activity after a few days. The blood pressure had reached ten, but negative physical effects have appeared.

I went to my office. [Mr. Pike Botha], Minister of Energy and Mines of South Africa came. The white man is strong. He brought the letter of [South African President] Mr. [Nelson] Mandela, who invited me. They talked about the development of relations. He said that they have the problem of crimes and the problem of high demands of workers. Mr. Mandela also has a family problem; He is separated from his wife.

[Mr. Mikhail Chigir], the Prime Minister of Belarus came. Most of the talk was about developing relationships. He said that after several years of continuous decline in production, the negative growth has been curbed this year. He invited me on behalf of the president.

I did the work until half past eleven. We went to the airport [Mehrabad]. I did an interview and we left for Pakistan with an official escort. On the plane, we had some discussions with our companions, Mr. [Akbar] Turkan, [Mohammed Hossein] Adeli, Mehdi and Hossein [Marashi], about the construction plans and the northern highway and the northern coastal road, etc. Chastity was meant to be with me, so that he did not consider the status of Imam's house.

In the space of the city of Islamabad, we circled because of the welcoming ceremony of Mr. [Soliman] Demirel, [President of Türkiye] who had arrived before us. The Turks were late. The ceremony was held with the official welcome of the President of Pakistan and the playing of 21 cannons. We went to Islamabad in the presence of the oil minister. We stayed in the president's private house that was evacuated for us. Dr. Velayati and his companions gathered, we discussed the plans.

In the evening, at our request, we went to meet Mr. Demirel's residence; Because he came to see us in Ashgabat, we went on this trip. We discussed the Copenhagen Congress and his trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the issues of northern Iraq and Afghanistan, bilateral relations, and the ECO agenda. He stated that he was unaware of the news that the IRGC had given us about northern Iraq. Mrs. Bhutto had announced that she would come to the residence, but she was delayed.