Islamabad : Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani met Dr Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, and members of his delegation, who called on him at Aiwan-e-Sadr. The meeting was followed by a luncheon in their honour.
Acting President said that Pakistan and Iran enjoy deep-rooted bonds of faith, history and culture, which continue to define their friendship and cooperation. He said that parliamentary engagement provides an important channel to advance understanding and promote cooperation for the benefit of the people of both countries.
Gilani emphasised the need to further strengthen political dialogue, economic connectivity and people-to-people exchanges. He highlighted the role of regular interaction between parliamentary committees and friendship groups in promoting cooperation on issues such as border management, counter-narcotics and facilitation for pilgrims.
Gilani said Pakistan wishes to significantly enhance bilateral trade with Iran as agreed during a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian held in August 2025. The Acting President also called for greater collaboration between the two countries in education, culture and youth linkages through academic and medical cooperation and exchange programmes.
A wide range of subjects, including bilateral trade, overall bilateral relations, the regional situation and international developments, were also discussed. Both reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation in all fields and to continuing close consultation on matters of common interest.
Dr Ghalibaf thanked Gilani for the warm welcome and said that Iran regarded Pakistan as a brotherly country and a trusted neighbour. He echoed the sentiments expressed during the Iranian President’s address on the floor of the Iranian Parliament regarding the resolution for solidarity with Iran passed by the Senate of Pakistan. He said Iran is keen to expand parliamentary and economic ties and added that a parliamentary delegation from Iran would attend the upcoming Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference in Pakistan.
The Iranian delegation also included Dr Reza Amiri Moghaddam, Ambassador of Iran; Mr Fida Hossein Maleki, Chairman, Iran-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Group; Mr Mohammad Nour Dehani, Vice Chairman, Iran-Pakistan PFG; Mr Rahmdel Bamiri; Mr Mehrdad Goodarzvand Chegini; Mr Fazlollah Ranjbar, Members of the Islamic Parliament of Iran; Mr Vahid Jalalzadeh, Deputy Minister for Parliamentary, Consular and Iranian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Mr Abolfazl Amouei, Special Assistant to the Speaker for International Affairs.
From the Pakistan side, the meeting was attended by Syed Imran Ahmad Shah, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety; Senator Sherry Rehman; Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani; Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar; Senator Hidayatullah Khan; Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti; and Senator Naseema Ehsan, Convener of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Iran, as well as MNAs Syed Naveed Qamar and Syed Ali Qasim Gilani.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
