Iranian president departs after three-day visit to Pakistan

• Iranian president holds meeting with top govt officials. 
• President Raisi also visits Lahore and Karachi. 
• Says no power can damage Pak-Iran ‘historic’ ties.

Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi has flown back to Iran after completing his visit to Pakistan, Geo News reported Wednesday.

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah saw off the honourable guest at the Karachi Airport early this morning.

During his three-day visit to the country, the Iranian President held meetings with the President, Prime Minister, Chief of Army Staff, Chairman Senate, Speaker of National Assembly, and the chief ministers and governors of Sindh and Punjab.

Iranian President said at a ceremony in Karachi earlier on Tuesday, “No power in the world can spoil the relationship between Pakistan and Iran.”

The Iranian president remarked while addressing a ceremony hosted at the Sindh Chief Minister’s House during his visit to Karachi on the third leg of his trip to Pakistan.

President Raisi said the bilateral relations between the two neighbourly states are interconnected via history, culture and religion. “Pakistan-Iran ties are historic,” he added.

Iranian president conferred honorary PhD degree

In recognition of his services for further bolstering ties between the two nations, Sindh Governor Tessori, being the chancellor of the University of Karachi, awarded an honorary degree of doctorate in philosophy (PhD) to the Iranian president.

Speaking on the occasion, the governor said: “It is an honour for the University of Karachi to confer the honourary degree on the Iranian president.”

Stressing the need for the ideal relationship among the Muslim countries, the governor said that he wanted to further strengthen ties between Pakistan and Iran.

He invited the Iranian business community to invest in Pakistan and take advantage of a favourable and business-friendly environment in the country.

He wished Iranian investors to join the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) projects.

The Iranian president touched down in Islamabad on Monday on a three-day official visit from April 22 to 24. Raisi’s visit is the first by any head of state to Islamabad after the February 8 general election.

Strict security measures have been taken, including air surveillance along with temporary internet suspension during the dignitary’s movement. To avoid the consequent inconvenience to the general public, the provincial governments announced a local holiday in Lahore and Karachi.