- President Pezeshkian praises Pakistan’s role in the dialogue between Iran and the United States.
- Leaders discuss regional issues of peace, security and connectivity.
- CDF Munir meets Pezeshkian on regional stability talks: ISPR.
In a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised Pakistan’s constructive contribution to the Iran-US dialogue and reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and regional peace.
President Pezeshkian landed in Islamabad today on a day-long visit following Islamabad-brokered talks between Tehran and Washington in Switzerland.
The trip, Pezeshkian’s first foreign visit since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, comes a day after Pakistan and Qatar announced that the first round of high-level US-Iran talks in Burgenstock, Switzerland, had produced a 60-day roadmap toward a final deal.
The Iranian president arrived on a special plane operated by Mirage Airlines, identified as Minab 168, a symbolic tribute to the 168 children who were martyred in an attack on their school by the United States and Israel in the Iranian city of Minab.
The Iranian president was received with a red carpet and guard of honor by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari and other senior leaders, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was also present.
This is Dr. Pezeshkian’s second visit to Pakistan in his capacity as President of Iran.
During his meeting with President Zardari, Pezeshkian discussed bilateral relations, mainly regional peace and security, bilateral and regional connectivity, economic cooperation and other issues of mutual interest, the Presidential House said in a statement.
The Iranian president was accompanied by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Head of the President’s Office Mohsen Haji Mirzaei, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, Head of Political Affairs in the President’s Office Saeed Abbas Mousavi and Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghaddam.
On Pakistan’s side, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and former Foreign Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister of State for Home Affairs Talal Chaudhry, Senior Senate Senator Saleem Mandviwala and Dr Asim Hussain were present during the meeting.
President Zardari welcomed President Pezeshkian on his first state visit to Pakistan after the recent conflict, noting that the visit reflects the long-standing brotherly relations between the two countries and the desire to remain together through good and bad times.
He congratulated President Pezeshkian on the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and expressed the hope that the ongoing negotiations at the technical level would culminate in permanent peace in the region.
The President reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled support for peace, stability, national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran.
He stated that Pakistan has consistently opposed unilateral initiatives and supported dialogue and diplomacy as means to achieve a lasting and sustainable solution to regional and global challenges.
He also underlined Islamabad’s commitment to preserving the unity of the Muslim Ummah while maintaining strong brotherly relations with the countries of the Gulf region.
President Zardari once again expressed his condolences over the martyrdom of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei and said Pakistan would participate in his funeral.
Pezeshkian thanked Pakistan for its positive and constructive efforts in support of peace and dialogue and appreciated the support extended by Pakistan during the recent difficult circumstances.
He said Iran attaches great importance to its relations with Pakistan and hopes to further expand cooperation on political, economic, security and regional issues.
President Zardari asked President Pezeshkian to convey his warm greetings to the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei.
CDF Munir calls on President Pezeshkian
Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir visited Iranian President Pezeshkian during which views were exchanged on regional developments and peace initiatives, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
The Iranian President appreciated Pakistan’s constructive and responsible role in promoting dialogue, reducing tensions and regional stability.
He acknowledged Islamabad’s continued efforts to encourage peaceful resolution of disputes and foster understanding among regional stakeholders at a time of heightened geopolitical challenges.
Field Marshal Munir reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to peace and stability in the region.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran relations and maintain close consultations on issues of mutual interest, with the shared goal of promoting peace, prosperity and stability across the region.
