Iranian President Raisi arrives in Pakistan on 3-day visit – Pakistan

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Pakistan on Monday on a three-day official visit — the first of its kind by any head of state after the February 8 general elections.

The Foreign Office (FO) said Raisi arrived at the Islamabad airport and was received by Housing Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran Mudassir Tipu.

“The Iranian president is accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation comprising the foreign minister and other members of the cabinet and senior officials,” it said.

Iran’s news agency IRNA said that Raisi’s visit was taking place at the invitation of President Asif Ali Zardari.

“President Raisi will visit several Pakistani cities to meet with a number of ulema, elites and business persons there. A visit to Lahore, the cultural heart of Pakistan, is also among the president’s plans,” it said.

Shortly after reaching the country, the Iranian president arrived at the Prime Minister’s House where he was received by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He was also presented with a guard of honour.

Later, the two also planted a tree in a the lawn of the Prime Minister’s House to mark Earth Day.

According to Radio Pakistan, the two leaders would also participate in a ceremony regarding naming a highway in Islamabad as Iran Avenue. It said that the two would also hold a press talk, adding that the prime minister would also host a lunch for the Iranian president and his delegation.

Dar meets Raisi, emphasises bilateral ties

Following Raisi’s arrival, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on the Iranian President in Islamabad, where they discussed bilateral relations as well as regional and global developments, Radio Pakistan reported.

Raisi and Dar “emphasised the importance of enhanced efforts to further consolidate bilateral relations in diverse fields”, the report said, adding that the two leaders also “affirmed commitment to peace and constructive dialogue for resolving regional challenges”.

The FO stated earlier that Raisi would visit Lahore and Karachi and meet with the provincial leadership.

It should be mentioned that the Sindh government has announced a public holiday on April 23 (Tuesday) in the Karachi division to “avoid inconvenience to the general public” upon the visit of foreign dignitaries.

Significance of visit

Raisi’s visit to Pakistan had been in doubt as Middle East tensions rose after Iran launched an unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel a week ago in retaliation for an airstrike on the Iranian consular building in Damascus earlier this month. Then, on Friday, central Iran received what was presumed to be an Israeli attack.

Tehran has played down the apparent Israeli attack and indicated it had no plans for retaliation, a response that appeared gauged towards keeping the conflict in Gaza from expan­ding to a regionwide conflict.

Pakistan has called on all parties in the Middle East to “exercise utmost restraint and move towards de-escalation”.

Raisi’s visit is also significant as Pakistan and Iran seek to mend ties after tit-for-tat missile strikes in January. The cross-border strikes stoked regional tensions already inflamed by Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

Tehran carried out the strikes against an anti-Iran group in Pakistan the same week it targeted Iraq and Syria. Pakistan responded with a raid on “militant targets” in Sistan-Balochistan province. Both countries have accused each other of sheltering militants in the past.

Pakistan is also counting on a joint gas project with Iran to solve a long-running power crisis that has sapped its economic growth.

A $7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline intended to feed Pakistani power plants was inaugurated with great fanfare in March 2013. But the project immediately stagnated following international sanctions on Iran.

Tehran has built its own section of the 1,800-kilometre pipeline, which should eventually link its South Pars gas fields to Nawabshah.

In February, the outgoing caretaker government in Pakistan approved the construction of an 80km section of the pipeline, primarily to avoid the payment of billions of dollars in penalties to Iran due to years of delays.

Washington has warned that Pakistan could face US sanctions, saying it does not support the pipeline going forward.