IRIA News

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in the neighboring country of Pakistan on April 22, 2024, to conduct official discussions with leaders of the host nation against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Iran and Israel.

The Iranian president’s trip aims to strengthen economic and security cooperation with Pakistan, as the two countries seek to smooth the diplomatic rift.

Raisi, who is accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation, plans to meet with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and the recently elected first female chief minister of Pakistan’s largest province Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

A statement released by the Pakistani Foreign Office said that “The two sides will have a wide-ranging agenda to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran ties and enhance cooperation in diverse fields including trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture, and people-to-people contacts.”

The statement added that the two sides “will also discuss regional and global developments and bilateral cooperation to combat the common threat of terrorism.”

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif @CMShehbaz and Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi @raisi_com , President of the Islamic Republic of Iran today, held in-depth talks on bilateral and regional issues. The two leaders reaffirmed commitment to expanding wide-ranging bilateral… pic.twitter.com/awis5YBqFl

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) April 22, 2024

In light of the visit, Pakistani authorities have bolstered security measures by deploying hundreds of additional police and paramilitary forces to ensure safety and order. Pakistan has experienced a notable increase in militant violence in recent months, predominantly attributed to the Pakistani Taliban and insurgents targeting both Pakistani security forces and neighboring Iran.

The visit follows Iran’s airstrike on Israel last week, a retaliatory action prompted by an Israeli strike in Syria resulting in the deaths of two Iranian generals within a consular building. Iran found support from Pakistan for its actions against Israeli aggression. Islamabad, along with several other countries in the world, maintains no diplomatic ties with Israel due to the Palestinian issue.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as he arrived in Islamabad for his three-day visit. This is the first visit by any head of state to Islamabad after the February 8 controversial elections in Pakistan.

The two leaders spoke to the reporters following their meeting at Sharif’s office. Sharif praised Iran’s “strong stand on the issue of Palestine” and said, “Pakistan is also with the Palestinians.”

In his televised remarks, Raisi said that the killings by Israel in Gaza were being committed with the support of the United States and other Western countries. He criticized the international organizations, including the United Nations, saying “They say they support human rights, but they proved that they are inefficient”.

He pledged to enhance what he described as “unacceptably low” bilateral trade between the two neighboring countries and urged for the establishment of additional border markets. Pakistan and Iran established the inaugural border market in Baluchistan province, southwestern Pakistan, last year, committing to establishing five more markets as outlined in a 2012 agreement.

Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline

The two sides also discussed the highly anticipated multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project, which has been suspended since 2014. The project, initiated in 2013 to provide Iranian natural gas to Pakistan, has faced opposition from Washington, alleging that it contravenes sanctions imposed on Tehran due to its nuclear program.

Tehran has finished building 1,100 kilometers of the pipeline on its side of the border investing more than $2 billion, but construction has yet to commence on the Pakistani side. Islamabad is hesitant to initiate construction due to concerns that it could trigger U.S. sanctions for importing Iranian gas.

Iranian officials have reiterated their intention to pursue legal action against Pakistan through international arbitration, seeking damages of approximately $18 billion for contractual violations. Recently, the U.S. State Department reiterated its caution to Islamabad, advising against moving forward with the project to evade potential sanctions.

The Iranian president met with his Pakistani counterpart Asil Ali Zardari who helped launch the pipeline project after travelling to Iran in 2013. He also met with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and discussed regional and global developments and “affirmed commitment to peace and constructive dialogue for resolving regional challenges,” a foreign ministry statement said.