LAHORE: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian landed in Lahore on Saturday for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing regional cooperation between Iran and Pakistan.
This marks Pezeshkian’s first visit to Pakistan since taking office as president. He arrived at Allama Iqbal International Airport, where he was warmly received by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Accompanied by a high-level delegation of senior ministers and top officials, President Pezeshkian’s trip will include key meetings with Pakistani leadership. According to the Foreign Office, he is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari and hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Before departing Tehran, Pezeshkian told reporters that the focus of his visit is to enhance economic and trade ties, emphasizing the importance of regional connectivity and cross-border market development. “Our goal is to increase commercial cooperation and mutual investments,” he said, adding that issues of border security and regional peace will also be discussed.
He expressed optimism about increasing bilateral trade volume to $10 billion and reiterated Iran’s interest in becoming actively involved in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is a key part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Iranian Political Adviser Mehdi Sanai confirmed that Pezeshkian’s visit will also include interactions with Pakistani business leaders and cultural representatives. “Our relations span across political, economic, cultural, and religious domains,” Sanai wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
One of the visit’s key aims is to boost trade from the current $3 billion and deepen cooperation in provincial and border regions.
This visit makes Pezeshkian the second Iranian president to visit Pakistan in the last two years. His predecessor, Ebrahim Raisi, had visited in April 2024—just a month before his tragic death in a helicopter crash.
In a show of regional solidarity, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also visited Iran in May this year. During his trip, he met with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and President Pezeshkian. Discussions at the time focused on trade, regional connectivity, strategic ties, and the situation in Gaza, with both sides condemning ongoing Zionist aggression and calling for a permanent ceasefire.
PM Shehbaz had also traveled to Iran earlier in May 2024 to attend the memorial service for President Raisi.
