Iranian President Pezeshkian in Pakistan to strengthen bilateral ties
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and other high-ranking government officials warmly received the Iranian President at Noor Khan Air Base. A 21-gun salute was also presented to the visiting dignitary.
President Pezeshkian is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, senior ministers, and other high-ranking officials.
Speaking before departure from Tehran, Pezeshkian said Iran and Pakistan have always maintained 'good, sincere, and deep relations" and plan to increase bilateral trade volume to USD 10 billion annually, Iran's state-run Press TV reported.
'Through Pakistan, we can connect to the Silk Road between China and Pakistan, and this road can connect to Europe through Iran," he said.
In Islamabad, Dar, who is also the foreign minister, met his Iranian counterpart Araghchi and the two leaders discussed various issues, state-run PTV said.
'The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Pakistan-Iran ties, with a focus on expanding cooperation in regional stability, trade, and economic collaboration. They also discussed enhancing bilateral engagement across key areas of mutual interest," the Foreign Office (FO) said in a post on X.
Main meetings of the Iranian president are scheduled for Sunday.
President Pezeshkian will meet with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and hold delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Sharif.
Earlier in the morning, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Federal Housing Minister Raiz Hussain Pirzada received Pezeshkian on arrival in Lahore, the Foreign Office said.
During his brief stay in Lahore, he had a meeting with Nawaz Sharif.
President Pezeshkian also visited the mausoleum of poet Allama Iqbal, who is still popular in Iran due to his Persian poetry.
This marks Pezeshkian's first official visit to Pakistan as President of Iran.
'The visit is expected to further strengthen the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Iran," the FO added.
Prime Minister Sharif had visited Iran on May 26. PTI SH RD NPK GSP
view comments
First Published:
August 02, 2025, 23:00 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
19 minutes ago
- India.com
When India Considered Giving Poonch To Pakistan: New Delhi's Secret Offer To Islamabad Revealed After Decades
New Delhi: Old papers never age. Some gather dust; some resurface with the weight of unsaid history. On July 29, during a three-day debate on Operation Sindoor in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened up a forgotten chapter of India's past again. He walked down the memory lane and highlighted how the Government of India, led by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, once considered handing over parts of Jammu and Kashmir (Poonch, Uri, Neelam Valley and Kishanganga) to Pakistan. The year was 1955. Conversations between Nehru and then Pakistani leaders Mohammad Ali and Interior Minister Iskander Mirza turned uncomfortably real. Documents and transcripts preserved in India-Pakistan Relations 1947–2007, edited by Avtar Singh Bhasin, now confirm what many never imagined. Serious proposals were once on the table, involving territorial adjustments in Jammu and Kashmir. Some involved potential transfers. Some suggested joint control. All unfolded behind closed doors. Inside the Nehru-Mirza Talks It was mid-May, and New Delhi was warm. Leaders from both nations sat across each other from May 15, 16 and 17. Among them were then Union Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Home Minister Govind Ballabh Pant. On May 15, Iskander Mirza floated the idea of common defence. He warned of the Persian Gulf falling under the grip of a hostile power. He believed India and Pakistan needed to face that risk together. Nehru listened. He disagreed. 'Presumably against the Soviet Union… I could not conceive of the Soviet Union attacking Pakistan or India,' Nehru said. He did not see a threat in the Gulf justifying such defence pacts. 'The major theatres of war would be Europe and the Far East,' he explained. Then came the real crux. He acknowledged Pakistan's past proposal from the then Governor General Ghulam Mohammad. That idea had called for control of the Kashmir valley by a joint Indo-Pakistani military and for large swathes of Jammu (north of the Chenab) to be handed to Pakistan. Nehru stood firm. 'Completely impractical. No one on our side could possibly think of this,' he said. He feared chaos, migrations and deep unrest. However, he did not walk away. 'It might be possible to consider the transfer of a certain part of the Poonch area,' he offered. But there was no definite lines, no commitments. It was only a hint. The reasoning was strategic. 'Poonch was a major recruiting ground for the Pakistan Army,' Nehru pointed out. Giving it up, though painful, might offer a path to resolution. He estimated that nearly 50,000 people could be affected by such a transfer. More Maps, More Shock On May 16, earlier suggestions resurfaced. Pakistan had previously pushed for parts of Jammu (Poonch, Reasi and Udhampur) to be given to them. In return, they were willing to let go of Skardu. There was even talk of attaching Kargil to Kashmir and leaving its fate to a future plebiscite. Nehru was blunt. 'Quite impossible for us to transfer these large areas. No government in India could do it,' he said. He rejected the idea of joint control too. 'Unthinkable. Such a thing had not happened anywhere before with success,' he said. A Narrow Offer on the Table By May 17, Maulana Azad introduced a more specific suggestion, which was a part of Poonch or maybe even a bit of Mirpur. He said it would cause a marginal shift on the map and turn out to be a gesture toward peace. There was some confusion. Nehru admitted he had discussed Mirpur with Azad and Pant but had not brought it up with the Pakistanis. 'This had not been previously referred to by the United Nations either,' he said. Still, he was ready to include it in the conversation, but only if it meant a final settlement. The two sides tried to make sense of each other's positions. Maps were pulled out, and boundaries were traced. Talks remained open but nothing moved. A formal joint statement followed on May 18, 1955. It said that the Kashmir problem had been 'discussed fully in all its aspects' and that the talks would continue at a 'later stage'. The Map Talks Resurface Years passed, but the wounds did not. In February 1963, the two sides met again. This time, a meeting between India's Swaran Singh and Pakistan's Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was held in Karachi. The discussion moved to maps. Singh offered slices of land in forest-rich regions near the Kishanganga. Bhutto's counteroffer for India was Kathua district. The rest of the area, including Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu, would belong to Pakistan. Singh called it absurd. Bhutto refused to move unless the Valley itself was put on the table. The back-and-forth dragged on, but there was no breakthrough. Nehru's Final Word in Parliament Months later, on August 13, 1963, Nehru addressed Parliament. He said India had shown 'great patience and restraint' and had 'offered generous concessions' to win friendship and cooperation. He did not hide his disappointment. 'There is little possibility of a settlement so long as Pakistan persists in its irrational animus against India,' he said. A Forgotten Moment The documents have always been there, buried in volumes and shelved away from public memory. But in those three days in May and again in the winter of 1963, the future of Jammu and Kashmir dangled on a knife's edge. Offers were made, maps were drawn and names like Poonch and Mirpur floated in the silence of diplomatic rooms. However, none of it led to a final deal. Once so real, the possibility remains one of the most overlooked turning points in the story of Kashmir.
India Today
35 minutes ago
- India Today
Pakistan backs Iran's nuclear programme, sets $10 billion bilateral trade target
During high-level talks in Islamabad on Sunday, Pakistan reaffirmed its support for Iran's peaceful use of nuclear energy and agreed to increase bilateral trade between the two countries from USD 3 billion to USD 10 billion annually. The announcement followed discussions between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud also signed 12 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to improve cooperation in areas including trade, agriculture, science and technology, innovation, communications, and maritime Minister Sharif on Sunday said that the leadership of Pakistan and Iran were keen to enhance the bilateral trade volume to the target of USD 10 billion as soon as possible," the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. SHARIF BACKS IRAN'S RIGHT TO NUCLEAR ENERGY During the joint press conference, Prime Minister Sharif repeated Pakistan's support for Iran's peaceful use of nuclear energy and condemned recent Israeli aggression against Tehran."Pakistan stands with Iran for the acquisition of peaceful nuclear power," Sharif stated. He also praised Iran's response to Israeli Pezeshkian stated that the recently signed MoUs reflect "serious and sincere efforts" by both countries to elevate cooperation across sectors and fast-track a long-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA).Later, Pezeshkian also met with Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, who lauded Iran's principled stance on regional affairs and reaffirmed Islamabad's commitment to promoting peace and prosperity through bilateral collaboration."President Zardari appreciated Iran's principled positions on regional issues and acknowledged Tehran's consistent support for regional cooperation," according to Radio expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its support during the recent 12-day conflict with Israel and appreciated Islamabad's efforts in promoting de-escalation and dialogue. President Pezeshkian reached Lahore on Saturday and went to Islamabad later that evening. Earlier in the day, Pakistan's Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan held talks with Iranian Minister for Industry, Mines and Trade Mohammad Atabak, where the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to boosting bilateral to a statement from Pakistan's Commerce Ministry, both ministers stressed the need to remove trade bottlenecks, improve infrastructure at border crossings, and prioritise trust-based partnerships across strategic emphasised the value of regional trade by drawing parallels with Asean economies. "Geography is an advantage. Pakistan and Iran must utilise this discount of distance. If we don't, we lose both time and cost benefits," he proposed the formation of targeted trade delegations from provincial and federal chambers of commerce to explore market access opportunities. Atabak backed the idea and proposed a dedicated business-to-business (B2B) day during all future high-level ministers identified priority areas for collaboration, including agriculture, energy, cross-border logistics, and services. Atabak also urged swift implementation of the newly signed agreements and suggested expanding trade ties to include Central Asia, Turkey, Russia, and West Asia, paving the way for a broader regional economic Centre for Strategic and Contemporary Research (CSCR), a policy think tank in Islamabad, noted that formal trade between Pakistan and Iran stood at USD 2.3 billion in 2022, with the balance largely favouring Iran. Iran exported petroleum gas, electricity, and petroleum coke worth USD 1.488 billion to Pakistan, while Pakistan exported iron pipes, medical tools, and utility meters worth USD 842.8 million.- EndsWith inputs from PTIMust Watch
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
US trade talks to stick to terms agreed earlier
India and the United States are intensely engaged to conclude a mutually beneficial early trade deal by the end of this month, 'strictly' within the bilaterally agreed framework of March 29, irrespective of the ongoing political rhetoric and independent of their strategic relationships with other countries, people in the know said on Sunday. he two countries finalised the detailed terms of reference (ToR) to enter into negotiations of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) on March 29 during their first physical round of talks in New Delhi. (PTI) It may be part of the negotiations that India and the US may purchase and sell more energy as an outcome of the deal. But the agreed framework does not proscribe either nation from purchasing oil and gas from any third country of its choice, they said, requesting anonymity. The two countries finalised the detailed terms of reference (ToR) to enter into negotiations of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) on March 29 during their first physical round of talks in New Delhi. Later, on April 22, US Vice President JD Vance officially announced the finalisation of the ToR for bilateral 'trade negotiations' during his India visit, and called it 'a vital step toward a final deal' between the two nations in a post on X that day. ToR is a set of bilaterally agreed road map for BTA negotiations. Both sides have concluded five physical rounds of negotiations and several virtual discussions within that framework. In the process, the two sides have already reached some common ground, substantial enough to announce an interim deal, they said. 'We are engaged through virtual mode as on date and likely to iron out remaining differences when the American negotiating team visits India for the sixth physical round this month,' one of the people cited above said. The US negotiating team is expected to land in New Delhi on August 24 to participate in the sixth round of talks from August 25. According to the people, some concrete outcomes are expected after the successful conclusion of the sixth round towards the end of August, despite US President Donald Trump's recent statements and tariff actions against India. Trump on July 30 announced punitive tariffs on Indian goods through a post on Truth Social. The announcements involved 25% on Indian goods shipped to America and an unspecified levy for purchasing Russian oil. Trump's reaction was an outcome of India refusing to budge on retaining protections for its agriculture, dairy and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sectors from unfettered American imports. Another factor behind Trump's reaction was India importing almost one-third of its crude oil requirements from Russia. About that, Trump on July 31 said on Truth Social: 'I don't care what India does with Russia… They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.' According to the US Energy Information Administration's (EIA) country analysis updated on February 6, 2025, Russia was the primary source of India's crude oil and condensate imports in 2023, accounting for about 39% of its total imports, followed by Iraq (19%), Saudi Arabia (16%), United Arab Emirates (5%) and the US (4%). India imported 4.5 million barrels a day (b/d) of crude oil and condensate in 2023, it said. 'In 2022, after the United States and EU imposed sanctions on Russia, India began purchasing Russia's crude oil at a discount, increasing its imports more than sixfold to 740,000 b/d,' the report said. Energy hungry India, which is the world's third largest importer after the US and China, imports over 87% of the crude oil it processes. 'Economical and reliable energy supply is the top priority of India's energy security, and heavily discounted crude from Russia meets both the requirements. Our energy sourcing is diversified, involving 39 countries. We have recently increased energy imports from the US and this may go up further depending on commerciality. But our sourcing from Russia would not stop under any external pressure. We are not bound by any unilateral sanction as we follow the UN sanction,' a second person said. Energy security is India's key concern and the US is endowed with the natural resource. The proposed BTA may have some definite commitments for enhanced energy imports from the US, depending on the long-term commercial viability, the people mentioned above said. 'But the deal cannot and will not restrict India's freedom in pursuing its independent energy sourcing. We are buying crude oil from about 40 countries, including the US, the Middle East and Russia. And the policy of diversified sourcing will continue,' the first person said.
