Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Pakistan on an official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and was received with full state honours in Islamabad.

Upon his arrival at Nur Khan Airbase, he was welcomed by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and other senior officials.

A 21-gun salute and fighter jet flypast were conducted in his honour before he proceeded to the Prime Minister House, where he was accorded a guard of honour.

During the visit, President Pezeshkian is scheduled to meet President Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz and other key Pakistani leaders, including Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who recently participated in US-Iran talks in Switzerland, is accompanying the president and also held separate meetings with Pakistan’s leadership.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the visit aims to review the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including trade, energy cooperation, border security, regional connectivity and people-to-people exchanges.

Both countries are also expected to discuss regional and international developments and follow up on diplomatic engagements linked to the recently signed Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

Due to heightened security arrangements for the visit, Islamabad’s Red Zone was sealed, judicial work at the Islamabad High Court and Federal Constitutional Court was suspended, several government offices adopted work-from-home arrangements, and bus terminals and hiking trails in the capital were temporarily closed.