Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, for a three-day visit on Monday. During his visit, he met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss strengthening bilateral ties.
Sharif attempted to elicit Raisi’s support for Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir during a joint press conference. However, Raisi declined to engage with the topic, highlighting Iran’s delicate diplomatic position. Iran maintains diplomatic and trade relations with both India and Pakistan, making it crucial to remain neutral on the Kashmir dispute.
Raisi’s silence during the press conference was seen as a snub to Sharif, who failed to secure Iran’s support in the India-Pakistan dispute. Despite this, both Iran and Pakistan have made efforts to improve their relations, including carrying out retaliatory strikes against alleged terrorist hideouts on each other’s lands.
Raisi’s visit to Pakistan is significant as he becomes the first foreign leader to visit the country after its controversial general elections in February. It also comes after India and Iran held discussions on Palestine and strengthened their diplomatic and trade ties.
