• Pezeshkian, ministers stop over in Lahore, visit Allama Iqbal’s mausoleum
• Talks to focus on increasing trade to $10bn, improving border security
• Foreign, defence, communication ministers from both sides hold meetings in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran on Saturday pledged to deepen their bilateral ties with a focus on regional cooperation, economic integration and enhanced security coordination, as Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian began his first official visit to Pakistan.

In a meeting with a delegation of political and religious leaders soon after his arrival, Dr Pezeshkian described the two neighbouring countries as “close strategic partners” and expressed hope that the visit would reinforce the relationship and usher in a new era of cooperation between them.

In a rare gesture underscoring the significance of the trip, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally received the Iranian president at Islamabad’s Nur Khan Airbase, extending a warm welcome not seen for an Iranian head of state in years.

President Pezeshkian is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Defence Minister Brig Gen Aziz Nasirzadeh, ministers for industry and mining, roads and urban development, and the governor of Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province.

The two-day visit includes meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz and the military leadership.

Talks between the two sides are expected to cover a broad agenda centred on improving border security, expanding bilateral trade — targeting an annual volume of $10 billion — and formalising cooperation in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, management and tourism, according to diplomatic sources.

Several agreements are expected to be signed during the visit.

According to Iran’s ambassador to Islamabad, Reza Amiri-Moghaddam, documents covering cooperation in economic, transportation, customs, standards, cultural exchanges and tourism will be finalised. The Iranian president is also scheduled to meet prominent Pakistani business leaders and intellectuals to explore private sector-led opportunities for collaboration.

The visit also comes at a time when Pakistan’s diplomatic role in defusing Iran-US tensions has been acknowledged. Since the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June and the collapse of dialogue between Iran and the United States hosted by Oman, Pakistan has quietly played a key role in facilitating the exchange of messages between Tehran and Washington.

Diplomatic sources say this discreet channel of communication has helped stabilise tensions and improved Pakistan’s standing with both Iran and the United States, positioning Islamabad as a more credible interlocutor in a highly polarised region.

Defence ties

Amid shared concerns over transnational terrorism and border instability, the visit places particular emphasis on security cooperation. In a key preparatory meeting, Iran’s Defence Minister Nasirzadeh met his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Asif on Saturday night to discuss enhancing military and border coordination.

“Common opportunities and threats increase the need for close cooperation between the two countries,” Mr Nasirzadeh said, expressing confidence that the two sides could achieve significant progress in defence collaboration and border security mechanisms.

The Iranian minister also held a separate session with Pakistan’s Minister for Defence Production Raza Hayat Harraj.

Talks with Dar

Earlier in the evening, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held talks with Mr Araghchi at the Foreign Office to set the stage for high-level discussions.

“During the meeting, the two sides held preliminary discussions on key substantive issues to be addressed at the leadership level. These included regional developments, bilateral trade and connectivity, energy cooperation, and the need to strengthen mechanisms for regular consultation and coordination,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

“The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the longstanding and brotherly ties between Pakistan and Iran,” it further said. “They also emphasised the importance of sustained dialogue, enhanced cooperation on economic and security matters, and greater people-to-people exchanges.”

Also, Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh met her Pakistani counterpart Abdul Aleem Khan.

President Pezeshkian’s visit comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. In remarks made before departing Tehran, he underlined the importance of mutual cooperation to achieve regional security, particularly along the 900-kilometre Pakistan-Iran border.

He also reiterated plans to boost bilateral trade to $10bn and stressed that the visit would help lay the foundation for institutional mechanisms to support long-term economic and political dialogue.

The visit marks the fifth meeting between Pakistani and Iranian leaders over the past year. Diplomatic sources say the two governments are now working to schedule a meeting of the Iran-Pakistan Joint Economic Commission in Tehran later this year.

In his meeting with Pakistani politicians and clerics, President Pezeshkian expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s vocal support during Iran’s military confrontation with Israel. “President of Iran profusely thanked the government and people of Pakistan for their strong support to Iran in the recent war with Israel,” said Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, who was part of the delegation.

Arrival at Lahore

Before coming to Islamabad, the Iranian president landed at Lahore airport, where he was warmly received by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The president expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and held a meeting with them at the airport lounge before heading to the mausoleum of Pakistan’s national poet, Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal, where he also received a guard of honour.

Main roads from the airport to the shrine were decorated with huge portraits of the Iranian and Pakistani leaders besides the national flags of the two countries and welcome banners.

Upon their arrival at Hazuri Bagh, President Pezeshkian, FM Araghchi and other delegation members were warmly welcomed by provincial ministers Azma Bokhari, Sohaib Ahmed Bharat and the Khateeb of the historic Badshahi Mosque, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad.

The president laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum and offered fateha.

On this occasion, the Khateeb of the historic Badshahi Mosque, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, offered special prayers for the strengthening of Pak-Iran relations, prosperity and development of Pakistan and the well-being of Muslims.

Dr Pezeshkian recorded his impressions of Allama Iqbal’s literary legacy in the visitors’ book. CM Maryam thanked the visiting delegation for their stopover to Lahore, calling it an honour for the people of Punjab. She bid him farewell along with his delegation at Lahore airport as they flew to Islamabad.

Zulqernain Tahir in Lahore also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2025