Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan arrived at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport after a brief stop-over in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, on his first-ever official visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
At the airport, the Pakistani premier and his entourage were welcomed by Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeid Namaki. Khan will be officially welcomed by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at Sa’adabad Palace, north of Tehran, on Monday.
Following the ceremony, the Iranian and Pakistani delegations are expected to start their bilateral talks on the expansion of Tehran-Islamabad ties in various political, economic, security, and cultural fields.
The prime minister is also expected to meet with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei during his stay in Tehran.
During the two-day visit, PM Khan is being accompanied by Minister of Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, Minister of Inter Provincial Coordination Fahmida Mirza, Minister of Human Rights Shireen Mazari, his advisor in Commerce and Industries Abdul Razak Dawood, and his special assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari.
Before arriving in Tehran, Khan made a short stop in the city of Mashhad, where he paid a visit to the holy shrine of Imam Reza, the 8th Shia Imam.
While in Mashhad, he also held separate talks with the governor general of Razavi Khorasan province and the custodian of the Astan Quds Razavi, an organization that manages the holy shrine.
Ahead of his visit to Iran, Imran Khan had told Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Mahdi Honardoost that Islamabad’s ties with Tehran were of great significance, and he will seek closer relations between the two neighbours during his visit to the Islamic Republic.
