Historical, Cultural and Geographical Ties Between Pakistan and Iran

In order to get a vivid picture of Pakistan-Iran relations, the paper delves into the past with Iranian history and Iranian sphere of influence in South Asia. Both South Asia and Iran have ancient historical, cultural and religious ties since the times of the Cyrus the Great to the present. The Persian language and literature particularly the Persian classical poetry have left a great impression on sub-continent’s cultural and educational canvass. Pakistan-Iran border which was drawn by the British in the 1880s, remains still intact. Though the border is a wasteland with little agriculture but on the sea-front both the countries have access to the Strait of Hormuz which is of great strategic importance. Moreover, ethnic Baloch live on both sides of the border and crossborder and trade and livestock is the mainstay of cross-border economy. During the Cold War period, both Pakistan and Iran were subservient to the US policies against the Soviet Union; consequently, both received massive arms and equipment. This paper also indicates that during Mohammed Reza Shah’s time, the relations between Pakistan and Iran were quite friendly but they underwent a change after the Iranian revolution and during General Zia’s time. The main issues have been spelled out up-till 1979 and the minor frictions between the two countries could be managed through diplomacy. External pressures are also influencing the contemporary relations between the two countries and have put Pakistan in a dilemma. Historical and secondary sources have been used for the conduct of the study. Historical research has an important role to play in the Social Sciences. It helps us to understand the present by highlighting the past events.

Isolation of Newcastle Disease Viruses from Live Birds Markets and National Zoological Parks in Lahore District

Avian orthoavulaviruse-1 (AOAV-1) including highly pathogenic strains, pose severe economic and animal health concerns in developing countries. Live Bird Markets (LBMs) in Asian countries are considered as hubs for the spread and maintenance of different avian infectious diseases. In developing countries, poultry trade is characterized by complex chains comprising of many factors with limited biosecurity. In Pakistan, there is lack of uniformity in practices used in LBMs, leading to heavy impact in the spread of the disease. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to identify risk factors associated with AOAV-1 infections and their genetic characterization in LBMs from eight-towns of Lahore district during 2016-2018. A total of 189 poultry stalls (n=1015 birds) distributed in eight-towns were visited and a pool of 5-6 oropharyngeal swab samples was collected from each stall and tasted by RT-PCR for the Fusion (F) gene. Ninety-one (91) of 189 swab samples were found positive for AOAV-1s.The overall prevalence of the AOAV-1in poultry stalls was 48.14% (95% Cl = 41.13-55.24) observed. Data for eleven potential risk factors acquired through detailed questionnaires were analyzed by survey-weighted logistic regression and prevalence odds ratios (OR) for associated risk factors were calculated. A total of 24 AOAV-1 isolates were sequenced to examine the circulating genotype through complete F-gene. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that all isolates belonged to sub-genotype VIIi, genotype VII class II. This study provides important information on epidemiology and control of AOAV-Iin Pakistan and highlights the importance of implementing surveillances and biosecurity practices in LBMs.