Iran’s President Arrives in Pakistan For 3-day Visit Amid Tight Security

Aside the ongoing feud with Israel, Iran’s president arrives in Pakistan for 3-day visit amid the tighten security.

In a meeting on Monday, Iran and Pakistan’s leaders agreed to strengthen economic and security cooperation in an effort to mend a diplomatic rift.

Ties between the neighbors were strained in January when each launched strikes in the other’s territory, targeting militants accused of attacking security forces.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi met with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials during his three-day visit. To ensure security, authorities deployed hundreds of additional police and paramilitary forces.

Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent months, attributed primarily to Pakistani Taliban and insurgents targeting security forces in Pakistan and neighboring Iran.

What The Statement Entails

According to the statement, the two leaders discussed a variety of bilateral issues and vowed to work together to combat terrorism. They reiterated their opposition to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

Sharif praised Iran’s “strong stand on the issue of Palestine” and stated that “Pakistan is also with the Palestinians.”

Raisi claimed that Israel’s killings in Gaza were carried out with the support of the United States and other Western countries. He criticized international organizations, including the United Nations, saying, “They claim to support human rights, but they have demonstrated that they are ineffective.”

The visit comes after Iran launched unprecedented direct attacks on Israel, prompting an apparent Israeli response. Pakistan is one of the countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel due to the issue of Palestinian statehood.

Response From Raisi

Raisi also pledged to increase bilateral trade with Pakistan, which he described as “unacceptably” low, and to establish more border markets. Pakistan and Iran established the first such border market in southwestern Pakistan’s Baluchistan province last year, with five more promised under a 2012 agreement.

Sharif’s office reported that the two leaders signed eight cooperation agreements.

Authorities said the two sides also discussed a multibillion-dollar gas pipeline project that has been on hold since 2014. The project, which Washington opposes as a violation of sanctions imposed on Tehran for its nuclear program, was launched in 2013 to supply Iranian natural gas to energy-starved Pakistan.

Iran claims it has already completed the pipeline on its side of the border, after investing $2 billion. Pakistan was supposed to complete construction on its territory by the end of 2014, but work stalled, causing tensions between the nations.

The Iranian president later met with his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, who helped launch the pipeline project after visiting Iran in 2013.

Gen. Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief, met with Iran’s president on Monday night, according to a military statement. It stated that their discussion centered on “matters of mutual interest, notably regional peace, stability, and border security.”

Iran’s President Arrives in Pakistan For 3-day Visit – Watch Video

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