President Zardari, PM Shehbaz congratulate Iran's Pezeshkian on election win

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari have extended their congratulations to Masoud Pezeshkian on his election as the President of Iran.

In a statement, President Zardari expressed confidence that the fraternal ties between Pakistan and Iran will strengthen under his leadership and emphasized Pakistan's eagerness to work together for regional peace and prosperity.

Premier Shehbaz in a post on his official ‘X’ account stated, “I look forward to working closely with President-elect Dr. Pezeshkian to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran bilateral ties and promote regional peace and stability.”

The premier further emphasised the close and historic relationship between Pakistan and Iran as neighboring countries, saying, “We must ensure a bright future for our two peoples through mutually beneficial cooperation.”

In a closely contested race held on Friday, Masoud Pezeshkian faced off against Saeed Jalili to become Iran's next president.

With voter turnout estimated at approximately 50%, about 30 million Iranians cast their ballots.

Pezeshkian received over 16 million votes, while Jalili garnered around 13 million. Additionally, roughly 600,000 ballots were declared "spoiled."