PNN – In 2024, the last days of which are passing, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan went through many ups and downs, especially in the domestic sphere with the new government and new foreign policy. The exchange of high-ranking delegations between the neighboring countries of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan, especially the official visits of high-ranking government and military officials, should be considered as a turning point in the relations between the two countries in 2024.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, after the independence of the Muslim country of Pakistan, Iran was the first country to recognize the newly established country in the east, and both Muslim countries have had long-standing and good relations in the last seven decades. Pakistan also recognized the Islamic Republic of Iran as the first country after the victory of the Glorious Islamic Revolution.
During this period, Tehran and Islamabad have always had the same positions at the international level and have supported each other in international institutions and organizations. The continuation of the Gaza war in 2024 once again added to the synergy of the two neighboring nations in seeking justice for the oppressed Palestinian nation and condemning the aggression of the Zionist regime in the region.
The year 2024 between the two countries has witnessed an increase in the exchange of political, economic and cultural delegations in such a way that these trips provided the basis for the expansion of relations in all fields.
Targeting $10 billion in business
In 2024, the pursuits of the officials of the two countries in the development of trade relations, especially the creation of new border markets and the activation of old markets, accelerated, and now the volume of bilateral trade has approached three billion dollars.
At the same time, after the visit of the late president of Iran to Pakistan, the goal of 10 billion dollars in joint trade was put on the agenda of the two countries. And it is expected that with the planned visit of the Minister of Commerce of Pakistan to Tehran in the New Year, we will see new steps to gain common interests and a trade-oriented approach in the borders of the two countries.
Iran’s support for Pakistan’s membership in BRICS
Considering Iran’s membership in the BRICS organization and close interactions with Pakistan under the umbrella of the Economic Cooperation Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the government of Islamabad struggled to become a member of the BRICS. In this regard, the Prime Minister of Pakistan has appreciated Iran’s support for that country’s membership in the BRICS organization.
As two neighboring countries, Iran and Pakistan passed a busy year with dynamic and active relations, and in addition to the numerous and important trips and meetings that are mentioned in this report, political, military, economic delegations, In 2024, cultural, scientific and sports exchanges between the two countries took place.
Strengthening the Palestinian support front; Pakistan supports Iran against Israeli aggression
Like the nation and government of Iran, during the past year and with the continuation of the Gaza war, the government and people of Pakistan, in the national, regional and international stages, have always declared their support for the Palestinian fight against the Zionist enemy and expressed their hatred for the blind aggression of the Israeli regime in the region.
Different cities of Pakistan witnessed large gatherings of Palestinian supporters during 2024 and the enthusiasm of the people of this country was spectacular after two successful operations by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Zionist regime.
While condemning the Zionist regime’s aggression against Iran, the government of Pakistan announced that Pakistan stands by Iran. Condemning the Zionist regime’s crime in the assassination of martyrs Ismail Haniyeh and Seyed Hassan Nasrallah, Pakistan demanded immediate action from the international community to stop the aggression of the Israeli regime.
Meeting of leaders in New York and Cairo; Pakistan invites doctors
At the end of September, on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Masoud Pezishkiyan met.
The heads of Iran and Pakistan agreed that a joint working group will examine the fields of expanding economic and commercial cooperation as well as solving the problems facing the gas pipeline between the two countries.
The second meeting between Sharif and Dr. Pezishkiyan took place on the sidelines of the D-8 summit in Cairo. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, while again condemning the Zionist regime’s aggression against Iran, invited Dr. Pezishkiyan to visit Pakistan.
The heads of Iran and Pakistan, by renewing their mutual pledge to expand cooperation between them, agreed to strengthen their unanimity in support of the oppressed Palestinian nation against the crimes of the Zionist regime.
Araghchi’s trips to Islamabad and his Pakistani counterpart to Iran
Following the regional consultations, the head of the diplomacy of the 14th government after the Zionist regime’s aggression against Iran, Dr. Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, visited Islamabad and met with high-ranking political and military officials of Pakistan in the last stage of these trips.
He had separate meetings with the Prime Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, his Pakistani counterpart, and General Syed Asim Munir, the commander of the country’s army.
Martyr Amir Abdullahian’s trip to Islamabad and formulation of a new strategy against the enemies of border security
After the military action of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Jaish-e-Zalum terrorists in the border area of ​​Pakistan and related events, the late foreign minister of our country, Hossein Amirabdollahian, made an official visit to Islamabad.
One of the important results of this visit was the establishment of a joint consultative mechanism to strengthen security cooperation, the exchange of military liaison officers between the two countries, and the finalization of Ayatollah Shahid Raisi’s official travel plan to Pakistan.
Pakistan’s elections and the efforts of the eastern neighbor to welcome the president of Iran
In February, Pakistan’s general elections were held, and the Muslim League-Nawaz party, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, decided to form a coalition government. Shahbaz Sharif, the brother of Nawaz Sharif, was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for the second time.
Two months after Pakistan’s election, the country hosted the late president of Iran as the first high-ranking foreign official to visit Pakistan after the formation of the new government. Martyr Raisi completed his three-day official visit with a warm welcome from high-ranking officials of the neighboring country in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The two countries also signed several cooperation documents.
Pakistan mourns Raisi’s martyrdom and Shahbaz Sharif’s trip to Iran
Not even a month had passed since the president’s visit to Pakistan, when the painful accident of the president’s helicopter and his accompanying delegation hurt the hearts of the people and government of Pakistan, who recently hosted the late president of Iran. A day of public mourning was announced in Pakistan to pay respect to martyr Raisi, martyr Amir Abdullahian and their accompanying delegation, and the Prime Minister of Pakistan traveled to Tehran to attend the ceremony to pay tribute to martyrs.
Shahbaz Sharif, while conveying the message of condolence and sympathy of the government and people of Pakistan to the people of Iran, also met with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
The presence of the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan at the inauguration ceremony of Dr Pezishkiyan
After the presidential election of Iran, the Prime Minister of Pakistan had a telephone conversation with the elected president of the Iranian nation, Dr. Pezishkiyan, and while congratulating him, he announced Pakistan’s full readiness for close cooperation with the new government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, on behalf of the President and Prime Minister of his country, traveled to Tehran and participated in the inauguration ceremony of Dr. Pezishkiyan.
A significant leap in military relations between Iran and Pakistan
The exchange of high-ranking military and security delegations between Iran and Pakistan continued in 2024 and was accompanied by a significant leap. The ship of the Pakistan Navy group visited the Islamic Republic of Iran twice this year. This development took place between the two countries in January and December.
In October, Amir Brigadier General Hamid Vahedi, commander of the Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, traveled to Islamabad at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart. He also supervised the multi-national exercise of the Pakistan Air Force called Sindh Shield 2024.
One month after that, Brigadier General Seyyed Hojatullah Qureshi, Deputy Minister of Defense and Support of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the head of a military delegation, met with high-ranking Pakistani defense and military officials on an official visit to Islamabad.
In the middle of October 2024, the 23rd meeting of the heads of state of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held in Islamabad, hosted by the government of Pakistan. Seyyed Mohammad Atabek, Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade of the Islamic Republic of Iran, headed the delegation of our country at the meeting in Islamabad. On the sidelines of this meeting, he also met with the Minister of Commerce of Pakistan.
Pakistan on the domestic front; from the fight against terrorism to the tension with Afghanistan and concern about America’s approach
In 2024, Pakistan witnessed many ups and downs internally and in relations with different countries. Also, the continuation of severe tensions in relations with Afghanistan, India and efforts to restore fragile relations with the United States despite Washington’s negative stance against Pakistan’s missile programs, as well as the challenge of Shahbaz Sharif’s government to the opposition at the same time as managing the economic crisis, are among the important events.
In 2024, no progress was seen in the cold relations between Pakistan and India as the nuclear rivals of South Asia, although the Indian Foreign Minister visited Islamabad to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Heads of Governments Summit, but this visit could not reduce the deep differences between the two neighbors.
After the announcement of Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election and considering the history of Islamabad’s relations with the former Trump administration, it is expected that the complexity of these relations will increase in the new US administration.
The recent positions of the American government against Pakistan’s missile programs and comments on political developments and the conflict between the government and the opposition of Pakistan have angered the authorities of this country.
This year, terrorist attacks in Pakistan intensified despite the measures taken by the army and security agencies of this country to deal with terrorist and separatist groups. The states of Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faced the highest number of explosions, attacks on security forces and border conflicts. Recently, the Pakistan Army announced that during the past year, it conducted nearly 60,000 basic intelligence operations against terrorist elements, during which 935 terrorists were killed and 383 members of the Pakistani security forces also lost their lives.