Accompanied by his wife and a high-level delegation comprising the foreign minister and other cabinet members, along with other senior officials as well as a large business delegation, Raisi will be the first head of state to visit Islamabad after the February 8 election.
The FO’s confirmation comes after a comprehensive security plan was planned for President Raisi’s visit after members of a security team arrived in Pakistan to review the measures taken by the Pakistani authorities, he said citing interior ministry sources.
Sources added that due to tensions between Iran and Israel, almost all law enforcement agencies, the National Anti-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and intelligence agencies will contribute to ensure a calm atmosphere during the guest’s visit.
Tight security measures also include aerial surveillance along with temporarily suspending the internet during the dignitary’s movement, the publication said.
During his visit, according to the FO, the guest will meet Pakistani leadership including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials including Chairman Senate Yusuf Raza Gilani, Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq and also provincial leadership.
During the trip, the neighboring countries will consider a broad agenda to further strengthen bilateral ties and enhance cooperation in various fields, including trade, connectivity, energy, agriculture and people-to-people contacts.
President Raisi’s visit also holds significance as the two countries share key economic interests, particularly the Pak-Iran gas pipeline.
The visit is part of the two countries’ ongoing efforts to deepen their cooperation, which was temporarily frustrated earlier this year.
In January, relations between the two nations soured after Pakistan, in retaliation for Tehran’s cross-border strikes, carried out precision strikes using killer drones, missiles, cluster munitions and spare weapons to target terrorists inside Iranian territory.
Pakistan even withdrew its ambassador from Iran and announced that it would not allow the return of the Iranian envoy who was visiting his home country at the time, as a gesture of protest against Iran’s violation of its sovereignty.
However, diplomatic ties were soon restored and the ambassadors of both countries returned to their respective posts.
