Islamabad, July 21: A high-level Iranian delegation led by Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni on Tuesday held talks with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid an ongoing escalation with the US.
Momeni met PM Sharif at his official residence, the PM’s Office (PMO) said in a post on X, without giving details.
Ahead of his talks with Sharif, Momeni met Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Munir, Iran’s official media reported.
Momeni will also hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Mohsin Naqvi, who had invited him to visit Islamabad.
His visit comes as the situation in West Asia has deteriorated due to the continued US attacks against Iran, which in retaliation has been hitting American interests in the region.
Despite a massive bombing campaign, it is believed that mediators, including Pakistan, were making behind-the-scenes efforts to arrange a halt in the attacks and start negotiations between the two sides.
Pakistan, which previously mediated a ceasefire between the US and Iran, is making efforts to prevent the collapse of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last month between the US and Iran. The Islamabad MoU is a 14-point interim peace deal aimed at ending the war between Iran and the US.
Momeni, who arrived here on Monday evening for talks, was received by Naqvi.
Earlier, he laid a floral wreath on the Yadgar-e-Shuhda and was briefed about the monument. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Federal Constabulary presented a guard of honour to the visiting dignitary.
He also visited the Shakarparian Park area, a small hilltop near Islamabad’s Zero-Point, to have a picturesque view of the city.
It is believed that in addition to talks on the regional tensions, the talks will also focus on economic cooperation through higher bilateral trade, greater connectivity and renewed discussion of the long-delayed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.
After his arrival in Pakistan, Momeni had said that Pakistan and Iran should expand cross-border transport capacity to meet a USD 10 billion trade target.
He said that both countries aim to more than triple annual bilateral trade from USD 3 billion to USD 10 billion and that the visit was aimed at “developing relations and following up on agreements reached during President Masoud Pezeshkian’s trip to Pakistan about one month ago”.
“Creating the necessary conditions on both sides of the border will be a main focus of discussions on this trip,” he said, adding that regional developments would also be on the agenda.
Pakistan shares a 900-kilometre border with Iran. The two sides have been trying to use the proximity for greater trade, cultural and religious links. (PTI)
