Iranian President receives guard of honour at PM House

Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi has reached Islamabad today (April 22) on a three-day official visit to Pakistan.

When he arrived at the PM House, Raisi was given a guard of honour by smartly-turned out personnel of the armed forces.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warmly welcomed the Iranian President upon his arrival at the PM House.

Afterwards, the national anthems of both countries were played and the country heads shook hands with other dignitaries.

The Iranian President also planted a sapling in the Prime Minister's House garden on the occasion of Earth Day.

Earlier in the day, Minister for Housing and Works Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada welcomed the Iranian president at the Noor Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi.

President Raisi was accompanied by his spouse and a high-level delegation, comprising the foreign minister and other members of the cabinet, seniour officials and a large business delegation.

Raisi will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq during his visit.

He will also visit Lahore and Karachi and meet with the provincial Chief Ministers and Governors.

A public holiday was announced in the port city on April 23 due to the arrival of foreign dignitaries.

"The two sides will have a wide-ranging agenda to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran ties and enhance cooperation in diverse fields, including trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture and people-to-people contacts," the statement from the FO read.

“They will also discuss regional and global developments and bilateral cooperation to combat the common threat of terrorism,” it added.

“Pakistan and Iran enjoy strong bilateral ties anchored in history, culture and religion. This visit provides an important opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran relations."

This is the first visit by any head of state to Pakistan after the February 8 general elections.

The visit will also be closely monitored by the United States as Iran launched an attack on Israel last week.

However, sources said that the visit has no relation to the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel.