Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrives in Pakistan today, Tuesday, on an official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the visit, he is scheduled to meet President Asif Ali Zardari and hold talks with the prime minister, while Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar are each to call on him.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, this is President Pezeshkian’s second visit to Pakistan in his capacity as president of Iran, and it will allow the two sides to review the full range of bilateral relations and explore ways to strengthen cooperation in the fields of trade, energy, border security, people-to-people exchange, and regional connectivity. The ministry described the visit as an important opportunity to discuss the ongoing diplomatic efforts following the signing of the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” in addition to regional and international developments of mutual interest, affirming that it embodies the shared commitment to deepening the historical and cultural ties between the two countries and their aspiration for peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region.
As part of the preparations for the visit, stringent security measures were taken in Islamabad. The Islamabad High Court canceled its judicial proceedings for Tuesday due to the closure of the “Red Zone” and instructed its staff to work from home, while district courts were to continue operating as usual. The Federal Constitutional Court likewise suspended its judicial proceedings at its main premises in the capital for the same reason.
The federal government issued a directive for one day of work-from-home for employees of the ministries and government departments located within the Red Zone, while granting a full holiday to autonomous bodies and subordinate departments operating in the area. Exempted from this were essential federal institutions and banks, including the Prime Minister’s Office, the Senate and the National Assembly, the Cabinet Division, the Ministry of Finance and Revenue, as well as the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Commerce, and others.
In a related development, all bus terminals operating in the capital were closed on Monday evening as a security measure, including the Faizabad and Chungi No. 26 terminals, and they are to remain closed until the Iranian president’s departure. The Red Zone was also completely sealed off, with entry restricted to those concerned, in addition to the closure of the city’s well-known hiking trails until further notice.
Pezeshkian’s visit comes following notable direct talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland, dubbed the “Lake Lucerne Summit,” which launched the negotiations under the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” signed on 18 June. Under this 14-point agreement, Washington and Tehran agreed on a framework to end the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and negotiate the main files within sixty days of signing.
The talks were held at the Bürgenstock resort under Pakistani–Qatari mediation, with Pakistan represented by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir. The summit led to the establishment of a mechanism for continuing technical talks during the current week, alongside the opening of channels of communication to end the fighting in Lebanon and keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
In a joint statement, the mediators pointed to encouraging progress, including the establishment of a communication channel to avoid incidents or misunderstandings in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as agreement on the creation of an “escalation-prevention cell” between the parties and the Lebanese authorities to prevent a resumption of fighting.
اشترك لتصلك أبرز التغطيات والقصص الحصرية من فريق الأسطل مباشرةً إلى بريدك.