LAHORE: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday morning arrived in Lahore on the second day of his official visit to Pakistan.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz received Raisi and his delegation at the airport.
Punjab has also announced a public holiday in Lahore today to avert traffic issues for the general public amid Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to the city.
While visiting Allama Iqbal’s mausoleum, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that he wanted to address a public gathering in Pakistan.
“I wanted to address a public rally in Pakistan but the conditions were such that it could not be made possible,” said President Raisi as he visited the mausoleum of Allama Muhammad Iqbal in Lahore to pay his respect.
Raisi further said he did not “feel like a stranger at all while being in Pakistan”, adding that there were “special emotions and connection” with Pakistani people that kept the two nations connected.
He appreciated the Islamabad for its principled stand on Gaza.
The Iranian president further highlighted that Allama Iqbal was an extremely important personality for Iran as he was a very inspirational person.
This is the first visit by a foreign head of state since the new government took power following the February 8 elections.
A dat ago, Iranian president Raisi landed in Islamabad on a three-day official visit, the foreign office said.
President Raisi was accorded a warm welcome upon arrival in Islamabad. He spent his first day of the visit in meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, and Army Chief Gen Asim Munir. The Senate chairman and the Nationals Assembly speaker also called on the visiting president.
Pakistan and Iran on Monday also signed a total of eight accords on varying subjects to enhance cooperation in different fields including trade, science technology, agriculture, health, culture, and judicial matters.
The documents were signed between the two countries on the occasion of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s three-day official visit to Pakistan.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and President Raisi witnessed the ceremony as the representatives from both sides signed the documents.
The two countries signed an MoU on the Establishment of the Rimdan-Gabd Joint Free/Special Zone. The memorandum was inked by Secretary Board of Investment Ambreen Iftikhar and Iranian Advisor to President and Secretary of the Supreme Council of Free Trade Industrial and Special Economic Zones Hojjatollah Abdolmaleki.
ایرانی صدر عزت مآب ڈاکٹر سید ابراہیم رئیسی کی وزیرِ اعظم ہاؤس اسلام آباد آمد
وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف نے ایرانی صدر کا استقبال کیا.
وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف سے ایرانی صدر عزت مآب ڈاکٹر سید ابراہیم رئیسی کی وزیراعظم ہاؤس میں ملاقات
دونوں رہنماؤں کے مابین نیک خواہشات کا… PIC.TWITTER.COM/PYBBPRVJUP
— PTV NEWS (@PTVNEWSOFFICIAL) APRIL 22, 2024
The MoU on Mutual Recognition of the Standard of Iran and Pakistan was signed by Minister of Science and Technology Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash.
An MoU on Cooperation between the Ministry of Cooperative Labour and Social Welfare of Iran and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistani and Human Resources Development of Pakistan was also signed by Minister of Overseas Pakistani Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Iranian Minister of Road and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash.
Minister of Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar and Iranian Minister of Justice Amin Hossein Rahimi inked an agreement on Judicial Assistance in Civil Matters between Iran and Pakistan.
Pakistan and Iran also signed an Agreement of Cooperation on Animal Hygiene and Health.
The document was signed by Minister of National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Iranian Minister of Agriculture Jihad Mohammad Ali Nikhakht.
Similarly, the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in the Field of Quarantine and Phytosanitary was also inked by Minister of National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and Iran’s Minister of Agriculture Jihad Mohammad Ali Nikbakht.
PRIME MINISTER @CMSHEHBAZ RECEIVES THE PRESIDENT OF IRAN H.E. DR. SYED EBRAHIM RAISI AT THE PRIME MINISTER’S HOUSE. PIC.TWITTER.COM/RVDFBOGRG3
— PTV NEWS (@PTVNEWSOFFICIAL) APRIL 22, 2024
The two sides also signed an MoU for Legal Cooperation between the Ministry of Justice of Iran and the Ministry of Law and Justice of Pakistan. Minister of Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar and his Iranian counterpart Amin Hossein Rahimi signed the memorandum.
An MoU between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan and Organization of Cinema and Audiovisual Affairs of Iran was inked to promote film exchange and cinema cooperation between the two countries.
The document was signed by Minister of Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili.
The signing ceremony also marked the ratification of a security cooperation agreement between the governments of two countries.
