New Delhi: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Pakistan on a three-day visit on Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said.
Upon arrival, Raisi was received by Federal Minister for Housing and Works, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Ambassador Mudassir Tipu.
Pakistan Foreign Ministry said that the Iranian President is accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation comprising the Foreign Minister and other members of the cabinet and senior officials.
“President Raisi has an extensive program in Pakistan reflecting depth and breadth of Pakistan-Iran ties. He will meet the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Chairman Senate and Speaker, National Assembly,” the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan wrote on X.
During the visit, Raisi is also slated to visit Lahore and Karachi and meet with the provincial leadership there.
The Foreign Ministry revealed that following delegation-level negotiations between PM Shehbaz and Raisi at the PM Office, many memorandums of understanding (MoUs) will be inked by the two countries.
Additionally, President Zardari will hold a banquet in honor of his Iranian counterpart at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
Raisi is scheduled to visit Lahore as part of his high-profile tour of Pakistan, where he is expected to meet with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Governor Balighur Rehman. The Iranian leader is also due to meet with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Governor Kamran Tessori in Karachi later, reported The News International.
The Iranian President’s visit to Pakistan, however, comes at a time when there is escalation of tensions in the Middle East. The United States will be closely monitoring his visit, which coincides with the tension between Iran and Israel.
Raisi, according to The News International, would stay in Karachi and return to Tehran on Wednesday.
The provincial authorities are on high alert due to the high-profile visit and public holiday has been declared in Karachi on April 23.
It should be noted that the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline remains a major reason for Pakistan’s tolerance of some key security issues with Iran.
The pipeline was an old idea, but implementation began much later when Asif Ali Zardari was nearing the completion of his first term as president. Iran has built its part, but Pakistan is hesitant to proceed at its end, due to pressure from Saudi Arabia and the risk of debilitating US sanctions.
Moreover, the combination of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is working together and can keep Saudi Arabia and Iran in balance, writer Muhammad Amir Rana writes in his article for Dawn.
However, the writer says that Tehran could possibly remain a challenge for Islamabad.