Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrives in Pakistan on two-day visit

• Iran's president lands at Lahore airport.
• Pezeshkian will meet PM, President during stay.
• Masoud Pezeshkian eyes to boost trade ties.
  

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport on Saturday for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening ties between the neighbouring countries.

The Iranian president — who was welcomed in Lahore by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif — is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including senior ministers and other high-ranking officials.

He paid a visit to the mausoleum of Allama Iqbal where he received a guard of honour from smartly turned-out personnel of the armed forces.

He offered fateha at Mazar-i-Iqbal and recorded his remarks in the visitor's book.

The Iranian president, who is visiting Pakistan on the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, later arrived in the federal capital. Upon his arrival at the Nur Khan Air Base, the premier welcomed the visiting dignitary.

Taking to his X handle, the premier said: “Honored to welcome my brother, H.E. Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran on his official visit to Pakistan.”

“We look forward to our substantive engagements during this important visit that will pave the way forward for stronger Pakistan-Iran ties,” he added.

During his stay, the Iranian president will meet his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari and hold delegation-level talks with PM Shehbaz. 

Speaking to reporters in Tehran ahead of his departure, Pezeshkian — who has embarked on his first official visit to Pakistan as president — had said the purpose of the visit was to enhance bilateral trade and economic cooperation between Iran and Pakistan.

"The objective of this trip is to boost commercial and economic ties," he stated. The Iranian president added that matters related to border security and regional peace would also be discussed during the visit.

"We believe that cross-border markets and connectivity can open new avenues for mutual cooperation," he remarked.

President Pezeshkian further expressed hope that bilateral trade volume could be raised to $10 billion. He also highlighted Iran’s interest in active participation in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a key component of the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative.

“The OBOR project offers Iran an opportunity to connect with Europe,” he noted, adding: “Attempts to undermine the Islamic unity between Pakistan and Iran will fail.”

During his stay, Pezeshkian will meet President Asif Ali Zardari, and hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who last visited Iran on May 26 and invited the Iranian official to visit Pakistan.

According to the Political Adviser to the Iranian President, Mehdi Sanai, official meetings and discussions with "cultural and business elites" were planned during the president’s visit.

"The relations between the two countries encompass political, economic, religious, and cultural dimensions," he had said in a X post on July 30.

The development of provincial and border cooperation, as well as increasing trade from the current $3 billion, are among the objectives of the visit, the adviser concluded.

Pezeshkian will be the second Iranian president to visit Pakistan within two years. The visit was originally scheduled for the final week of July.

In April 2024, Ebrahim Raisi paid a three-day official visit to Pakistan — just a month before his death in a helicopter crash.

Dar, Iranian FM reaffirm commitment to bolster ties

Later in the evening, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and discussed matters of bilateral interest.

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Pakistan-Iran ties, with a focus on expanding cooperation in regional stability, trade, and economic collaboration. They also discussed enhancing bilateral engagement across key areas of mutual interest.

'Defence cooperation'

Separately, Minister for Defence of the Islamic Republic of Iran Brigadier General Aziz Nasir-Zadeh held a bilateral meeting with Minister of Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties and promote peace and stability in the region.

Both sides discussed matters of mutual interest, including regional security, counter-terrorism efforts, and avenues to enhance defence cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

Asif expressed appreciation for Iran’s continued engagement and emphasised the importance of defence diplomacy in addressing shared security challenges.

The Iranian defence minister thanked the government of Pakistan for the warm welcome and reiterated Iran’s desire to build stronger defence ties based on mutual respect, shared values, and trust.

The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both leaders expressing optimism about the future of Pakistan-Iran defence relations and pledging to continue working together for the prosperity and security of the region.