Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – September 15, 1983

Early in the morning, we went to the airport to travel to the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan and Hormozgan. [Messrs. Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian, Hassan Ghafouri-Fard, Hadi Manafi] the ministers of roads and power and health, [Mohammad-Taqi Banki, Minister without Portfolio and] head of the Plan and Budget Organization and deputy prime minister, and deputy ministers of the interior and agriculture, and [Ali Fallahian] acting head of the committees and chief of the Air Force staff, and [Major Torabi] head of the office of the Imam's advisory council, and [Esfandiar Hosseini] commander of the Navy, and a group of reporters and a number of Revolutionary Guards, and [Jalal] Sadatian [my chief of staff] and [Abbas] Abbasi [representative of Minab] accompanied me. In the air, with a tanker aircraft and an F-4 fighter, they demonstrated refueling the F-4 aircraft; it was interesting. At eight-thirty we arrived at Zahedan Airport; an official reception was held.

We went to the barracks of the 88th Armored Division in Zahedan. I attended and spoke at the joint morning ceremony of the Army, Revolutionary Guards, Gendarmerie, Committee, and Police. Then the forces paraded. I went to the barracks' war room; they gave good explanations about our defensive and military situation and the capabilities of Pakistan and Afghanistan. We went to the governor's office. We had a meeting with Sunni and Shiite clerics. The Friday prayer leader of [the Shiites] in Zahedan, Mr. Ebadi, and Molavi Abdulaziz [the Sunni Friday prayer leader] welcomed me, and I spoke. I went to the governorate guesthouse for lunch and rest, the Crown Prince's palace, which was not used because of its luxurious and despotic character.

At three-thirty, we had a meeting with officials from throughout the province. They stated their problems and needs, and I spoke to them and, so to speak, gave them guidance. From four-thirty until sunset, I spoke to the people in Azadi Square, beside the governor's office. After the evening prayer until nine at night, I met and held discussions with the revolutionary institutions, the Revolutionary Guards, Jihad, the Revolutionary Court, the committees, the Islamic Republican Party, Molavi Abdulaziz, and the Sistanis' community residing in Zahedan. Then I had a meeting attended by all the officials of the institutions and the companions and the governor, to discuss the province's important issues, including smuggling, Afghans, the borders, bandits, and how to resolve the problems. Smuggling figures are high, and there are 250 thousand Afghans in the province, and some of them engage in corruption. The borders are also open; we have no border road and there are few outposts. I became very tired. Before the meeting ended, I left and went to sleep.