Islamabad: 5 May 2025 – Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who is on an official visit to Islamabad, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, today.
At the outset, the Prime Minister expressed his sincere condolences to the Iranian side over the tragic explosion in Bandar Abbas that had led to the loss of precious lives and injured hundreds of people. He prayed for those who had lost their loved ones, as well as for the early recovery of the injured.
During this warm and cordial meeting, the Prime Minister conveyed his respectful regards to Supreme Leader Ayatullah Ali Khamenei and warm wishes for President Masoud Pezeshkian. He underscored that Pakistan attached great importance to its historic, deep-rooted fraternal ties with Iran.
While fondly recalling his earlier meetings and recent telephone call with President Pezeshkian, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the positive trajectory of Pakistan-Iran bilateral engagement and emphasized the need to enhance cooperation in trade, energy, border management, and regional connectivity.
The Prime Minister shared Pakistan’s serious concerns over the prevailing tensions in South Asia, as a result of India’s provocative behavior since the Pahalgam incident. He categorically rejected any attempts to link Pakistan to the incident, without sharing any evidence. He said Pakistan had offered that an international transparent, neutral and credible investigation be conducted to ascertain the facts behind the Pahalgam incident.
While stating that Pakistan had acted with maturity and responsibility, the Prime Minister said India had, on the other hand, created a media frenzy to divert the world’s attention away from the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, which remained the root cause of instability in South Asia. He also stressed that India’s weaponization of the Indus Waters Treaty was unacceptable and a redline for the people of Pakistan.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to work closely with Iran for peace, stability, and development in the region.
Foreign Minister Araghchi conveyed warm greetings from the Iranian leadership to the Prime Minister and reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to strengthening its relations with Pakistan and also playing its part in bringing peace and stability in South Asia. He also reiterated President Pezeshkian’s invitation to the Prime Minister, to undertake an official visit to Tehran during this year.
President Zardari, Iranian Foreign Minister discuss bilateral ties, regional security
The Foreign Minister of Iran, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr today to discuss matters of bilateral and mutual interest, regional security situation, particularly the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam incident.
Welcoming the Iranian Foreign Minister, the President emphasised that Pakistan and Iran enjoyed historic and brotherly relations. He stressed the importance of both countries working together to promote peace and prosperity in the region.
The Iranian Foreign Minister said that he was undertaking the visit on the instructions of the Supreme Leader, Ayatullah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, and the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian. He expressed understanding of Pakistan’s position on the current situation and called for restraint by both sides to de-escalate the tensions.
The Foreign Minister stated that Iran attached importance to its relations with Pakistan and was desirous of further strengthening bilateral ties for the mutual benefit of the two brotherly countries. He also highlighted the need to further expand the bilateral trade between the two countries to its fullest potential. He also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and assured of working in coordination with Pakistan on all regional matters.
The President thanked the Iranian Foreign Minister for undertaking the visit to Pakistan at a critical juncture. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to dialogue and diplomacy, while expressing concern over India’s aggressive posture, which he said was endangering regional peace and stability. The President also underscored the need to boost bilateral trade with Iran for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
The two sides also discussed the situation in Gaza and strongly condemned the ongoing atrocities and human rights violations by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Foreign Minister also conveyed the best wishes of the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for President Asif Ali Zardari.
Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araghchi met General Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS), at GHQ today.
The meeting featured constructive discussions on the geo-strategic environment, with particular focus on challenges confronted by both countries in the domain of security. The Pak-Iran border security mechanism was also reviewed as part of efforts to enhance bilateral coordination.
The COAS reaffirmed that Pakistan and Iran are brotherly neighbours, bound by deep-rooted ties of shared history, culture, and religion.
Both sides agreed to stay engaged for enhanced bilateral cooperation while jointly working to assist in bringing positive developments in issues concerning the region.
The Iranian FM acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace and stability in the region.
