- April 23, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
At Allama Iqbal’s mausoleum, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi emphasized his “special connection” to the Pakistani people after arriving in Lahore on Tuesday morning. Raisi and his delegation arrived at the Allama Iqbal International Airport on the second day of their three-day official tour, which was blessed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. After the general elections on February 8, his visit is the first of its sort by any head of state. Those who received him included Iranian consul general in Lahore Mehran Movahhedfar, Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akthar Zaman, and Inspector General of Police Dr. Usman Anwar.
Senator Pervaiz Rasheed, provincial ministers Uzma Bukhari, Mujtuba Shujaur Rehman, Khawaja Sulaiman Rafiq, Bilal Yasin, and Chaudhry Shafay Hussain, as well as senior province minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, were also present on the occasion. Next, the president of Iran went to the mausoleum of Allama Iqbal and offered fateha, and placed a floral wreath. During the event, Raisi said he did not “feel like a stranger at all,” adding that the two countries were linked by “special emotions and connection” with Pakistani people. “I desired for there to be a public rally so I could speak to the public, but for certain reasons, the conditions were such that it was not feasible,” he stated.
Raisi greeted the people of Pakistan and Lahore on behalf of the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressing gratitude for the “revolutionary spirit” that pervaded the region. The Iranian president emphasized that Allama Iqbal was a highly influential figure in Iran due to his motivating nature. Additionally, he commended the people and government of Pakistan for their “strong stance taken against Zionist forces with us, in Iran.” The khateeb of Badshahi Mosque, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, reportedly offered special prayers for the Palestinians in Gaza as well as for the improvement of Pak-Iran relations, according to Radio Pakistan.
According to the report, Raisi expressed his appreciation for Allama Iqbal’s literary legacy in the visitors’ book and mentioned that he was also informed about the current restoration work being done at Lahore’s historical landmarks, especially those in the Old Walled City. Raisi was scheduled to visit Lahore and Karachi and meet with the provincial authorities, as previously announced by the Foreign Office (FO). The FO announced today that CM Maryam and Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman will meet with the Iranian president in a post on X. Before the arrival of foreign visitors, including Raisi, the governments of Punjab and Sindh have declared local holidays in the Karachi division and Lahore district for today (Tuesday) to “avoid the consequent inconvenience to the general public.” In addition, from April 22 to April 28, the Sindh government has banned drones entirely in the Karachi division.
The Iranian president is scheduled to travel to Karachi later today, when he will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Karachi, according to Radio Pakistan. Raisi stated: “There is a significant scope for expansion and promotion of relations between the two countries due to the commonality between Iran and Pakistan” in an early Tuesday morning post on X. He greeted the people of Pakistan, stating that they “always defended Islam, Islamic values, the oppressed Palestinians, and the just and fair.”
Raisi had a busy day in Islamabad the day before, where the two parties agreed to boost trade to $10 billion over the following five years. He had met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif upon arriving in the capital and then spoke at a joint press conference, pledging to improve ties between the two nations at “high levels.” Raisi later met President Asif Ali Zardari, with whom he agreed to strengthen current relations. The Iranian president spoke with General Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff, about border security and regional stability.
Raisi had also received a call from Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his Iranian colleague Dr. Ahmad Vahidi had agreed that both countries should outlaw terrorist organizations in their nations. The neighbors separately inked eight Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements for cooperation in different fields. The freshly built section of Islamabad’s 11th Avenue, which had been renamed Iran Avenue, was also officially opened by PM Shehbaz and Raisi.