Iran’s Interior Minister to Head Delegation to Pakistan for Broader Multi‑Sector Cooperation

ISLAMABAD — Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni is set to head a high‑level delegation to Pakistan in the near future, with the aim of strengthening cooperation across a range of sectors, according to state media.

This initiative follows agreements reached by Pakistan and Iran in June to deepen collaboration in trade, agriculture, and security during meetings that took place alongside President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Islamabad.

The announcement was made during a joint press conference involving Momeni and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is accompanying senior Pakistani officials to Tehran to attend the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

IRNA reported that the delegation will comprise senior officials from the ministries of agriculture, industry, mining and trade, roads and urban development, foreign affairs, cultural heritage, tourism, and handicrafts.

Naqvi stated that preparations for the Iranian delegation’s visit to Islamabad are already underway, marking Momeni’s second trip to Pakistan this year.

It was also decided that Iran will facilitate land travel for Pakistani pilgrims attending this year’s Arbaeen, a major Shia observance commemorating the 40‑day mourning period for Imam Hussain, who was martyred at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

Thousands of Pakistanis travel to Iran and Iraq each year to visit holy sites.

In June, Pakistan’s Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain and Iran’s Agriculture Minister Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh discussed expanding bilateral trade in agricultural commodities such as meat, rice, and mangoes.

They identified procedural bottlenecks that hinder commerce between the two countries and noted Tehran’s interest in importing up to 60 % of its meat from Pakistan. Both parties also pledged enhanced cooperation on counterterrorism and cybersecurity.

Hussain and Ghezeljeh reviewed the implementation of prior agreements and agreed to enact the commitments outlined in a joint communiqué within the next two months, directing relevant agencies to expedite processes and remove trade barriers.

Pakistan and Iran are working to convert recent diplomatic engagement into deeper economic and strategic partnerships, building on Islamabad’s role in facilitating dialogue between Tehran and Washington to achieve a ceasefire and interim peace arrangement in the Middle East.

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