A year after they conducted airstrikes in each other’s territory, Iran and Pakistan appear to be burying the hatchet as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir visit Tehran and meet the Iranian leadership.
The key factor bringing the countries together is Gaza, devastated in the aftermath of Israel’s brutal counterstrike to the Hamas attacks in October 2023. While Pakistan brought up its recent conflict with India and Kashmir, Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in public remarks, has only said Iran hopes disputes between India and Pakistan are resolved.During his meeting with Khamenei, Sharif brought up the India-Pakistan conflict after New Delhi carried out airstrikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 innocents dead. The Pakistan Prime Minister appreciated Iran’s “positive role” during the conflict.
During a joint press conference with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Sharif said Pakistan is ready to talk with India “to find solutions” to “longstanding problems”, including Kashmir, water-sharing and trade. “We are ready to talk, for the sake of peace on water issues with our neighbour. We are ready to talk to promote trade and also, counter-terrorism. We wanted peace, we want peace and we will work for peace in the region through talks, on the table, and resolve our outstanding issues,” Sharif said, according to a report in The Dawn. “But if they accept my offer of peace, then we will show that we really want peace, seriously and sincerely.”Iran’s response was measured. “We are delighted with the end of conflicts between Pakistan and India and hope that the differences between the two countries will be resolved,” Khamenei said on X.
Iranian state media IRNA reported that President Pezeshkian voiced Iran’s support for a durable ceasefire between India and Pakistan, calling for dialogue to resolve disputes and promote peace.According to a report in The Tehran Times, Khamenei has acknowledged that Pakistan has not joined the countries normalising ties with Israel in “a blatant betrayal of the Palestinian cause” despite Western pressure. “While there have been temptations for Islamic countries to engage with the Zionist regime in recent years, Pakistan has never succumbed to these temptations,” he said during a meeting with the Pakistani Prime Minister. He said the Palestine issue is the foremost concern of the Islamic world. “The situation in Gaza has reached a point where ordinary people in Europe and the United States are protesting their governments, yet unfortunately, some Islamic governments stand alongside the Zionist regime under these circumstances,” he said.
The Dawn reported that Israeli actions have caused untold misery for the people of Gaza. “It is high time that the international community used its influence to bring a lasting ceasefire in Palestine. Pakistan stands by its brothers and sisters in Iran to promote peace, progress and prosperity,” he said.
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