Pakistan and Iran have committed to boost their bilateral trade from its existing $3 billion to $10 billion by 2028, with Tehran also expressing interest in joining the Silk Road initiative with Islamabad and Beijing to bolster regional connectivity.
Iranian President Massud Pezeshkian concluded his two-day official visit to Pakistan on Sunday after conducting several meetings with senior officials, including Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. International observers closely watched the visit, as it followed the recent Iran-Israel conflict. In recent weeks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also indicated U.S. support for Islamabad’s mediation in talks with Tehran.
According to an official statement, the talks between the premier and the visiting dignitary took place at Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad and covered a wide range of bilateral issues. During their talks, the prime minister stressed on the importance of the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and Iran. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s full solidarity with the Iranian leadership, armed forces, and the people.
Addressing a joint press conference with Pezeshkian, Sharif expressed his condolences over the killing of Iranian soldiers, scientists, and civilians during the 12-day war incited by Israel, and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured. He also thanked Iran for its unwavering support to Pakistan during its recent conflict with India and backed Iran’s right to a civilian nuclear program.
During the presser, Pezeshkian thanked the Pakistani government and people for standing firmly with Iran during the war. He said the Iranian nation would always remember Pakistan’s show of solidarity.
Emphasizing the need for better economic ties between the neighboring states, the prime minister urged for the early convening of the 22nd session of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission. He said enhanced collaboration in trade, connectivity, culture, and people-to-people exchanges was imperative for shared prosperity. Both leaders also witnessed the signing of several memoranda of understanding and agreements covering several areas of mutual interest, including the activation of border markets, removing non-tariff barriers, and promoting barter trade.
Sharif thanked Iran for its strong and vocal support for the Palestinian cause in the face of Israeli brutality. He reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering backing of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with U.N. resolutions and called for an immediate halt to Israeli atrocities in Gaza. Additionally, he stressed on the need to ensure the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid to residents of Gaza.
Both leaders urged the international community to take steps to resolve the crisis.
Silk Road
Earlier, during a meeting between Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh and federal ministers Abdul Aleem Khan, Jam Kamal Khan and Hanif Abbasi, Tehran expressed interest in joining the Pak-China Silk Road initiative to boost regional connectivity.
In this regard, both states vowed to expand their land and rail route linkages.
The Iranian president also met President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad, with both leaders emphasizing the importance of enhancing bilateral ties in wide-ranging and mutually beneficial areas.
Zardari said that Pakistan and Iran enjoyed fraternal ties based on shared religion, culture and mutual respect. The two leaders exchanged views on major regional and international developments and stressed the need for coordinated diplomatic efforts to prevent the escalation of conflicts and to promote peace, security, and stability in the region.