Iranian President Pezeshkian to arrive tomorrow

WEB DESK: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will undertake his first official visit to Pakistan starting tomorrow (August 2), the Foreign Office confirmed on Friday.

According to the FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan, President Pezeshkian will stay in Pakistan until August 3 and is visiting on the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit marks his first trip to the country since assuming office. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will accompany the Iranian president as part of his delegation.

During the visit, President Pezeshkian will hold separate meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The two sides are expected to discuss bilateral relations, regional developments, trade and connectivity.

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The FO also said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had visited Iran earlier this year on May 26, reiterating the continuity of high-level engagement between the two neighbouring countries.

Only yesterday the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam had suggested to his government to immediately withdraw the country’s acting Consul General in Quetta Ali Raza Rajai for his remarks about issuance of visas to Pakistani pilgrims.

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On July 27, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi declared that the government will not allow pilgrims to travel via Balochistan, to go to Iran and Iraq by road for the ‘Arbaeen’ pilgrimage this year in view of security concerns. The Iranian Consul General in Quetta, however, said in a video that his consulate will issue visas to pilgrims if anyone reaches the Taftan border crossing with Iran.