Iranian President Raisi arrived in Islamabad on a three-day visit on Monday.
New Delhi:
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi on Monday met Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Islamabad and discussed strengthening bilateral ties. However, Pakistan Prime Minister’s attempt to get Ibrahim Raisi’s support on Kashmir during the joint press conference failed. The Iranian president’s refusal to engage with the topic reflects Iran’s delicate balancing act as the country pursues cordial relations with India. Apart from diplomatic and trade relations, the recent talks between India and Iran on Palestine have shown this.
Iranian President Raisi arrived in Islamabad on a three-day visit on Monday. During their joint press conference, Shahbaz Sharif tried to link Iran’s stance on the Gaza situation with Kashmir. Thanking President Raisi, he said, “I thank you and the people of Iran for raising your voice for Kashmir.”
Raisi, however, did not acknowledge the comment and refrained from bringing it up during his speech, instead focusing on Iran’s support for those fighting against oppression, particularly in Palestine.
His silence was a rebuke to Mr. Sharif, who failed to win Iran’s support on the India-Pakistan standoff.
New Delhi on Tuesday pointed out that Iran and India share a long history of meaningful relations. A press statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran said: “India-Iran dialogue has a thousand-year-old history. The contemporary ties draw on the strength of these historical and civilizational ties, and are marked by high-level Further progress is being made. Level exchanges, trade and communication cooperation, cultural and people-to-people ties are also detailed in the note.
In January, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian hosted Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in Tehran. Their discussions covered violence in Palestine as well as bilateral and multilateral relations with the BRICS countries. Since Iran has bilateral relations with both India and Pakistan, it is important to maintain a neutral stance on Kashmir.
The Iranian president’s official visit to Pakistan comes months after Iran and Pakistan launched retaliatory attacks on alleged terrorist sites on each other’s soil. It marks an active effort by the two countries to mend their strained relations. President Raisi is the first foreign leader to visit Pakistan since the country’s disputed general elections on February 8.