Fortifying ties

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Tehran and Islamabad made some great headway as they reiterated to regional realities in the wake of diplomatic crests and troughs in the backdrop of the Iran-Israel war. The two-day debut visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Pakistan was widely seen as a fence-mending exercise meant to do away with any of the misgivings that would have incurred in the wake of a tight-rope diplomacy exercised by Islamabad as it catered to the security calculus of both Tehran and Washington.

The words of praise from President Pezeshkian for Pakistan, its people and the parliament for standing fast with the Islamic republic, while it was under an aggression from the Jewish state, testifies to the strength of commonality of interests between the two sides. Likewise, the rubbing of shoulders at the highest echelons during the visit has opened new vistas of cooperation and a broader bilateral understanding.

The focus of the visit, however, was economy in essence and that came as a great opportunity to bolster political and security parameters too. The eagerness on both sides to raise the bilateral trade volume from $3 billion to $10 billion needs to be backed up with institutional support and an unflinching political resolve. It is a challenging task owing to an uneasy peace at the 900 km long porous borders infected with insurgency.

The signing of 12 agreements and MoUs amid an intention to go for a free trade agreement by 2027 needs walking the talk. Moreover, the desire to see connectivity flourish in wider regional interest, and to choreograph it through structured channels like the Joint Economic Commission (JEC), regular B2B exchanges, and sector-focused delegations was on the spot.

Pakistan and Iran have been embedded in regional alliances and an unshakable political determination for decades to make strides, but they have fallen short of expectations. Pezeshkian's visit at a turning point of history when both the countries share common denominators of security and economic distress is a great feast, and must come to fortify ties to new heights, and that too without any prejudice to realpolitik.