Islamabad takes centre stage ahead of key Iran visit

ISLAMABAD: A senior Iranian delegation headed by Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni is expected in Pakistan in the coming days, in a visit that officials have publicly linked to bilateral cooperation but which diplomatic sources also see as carrying wider regional significance.

Momeni is likely to travel to Islamabad after the burial of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 9. The visit was announced earlier during Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s trip to Tehran, where he said arrangements had already been made for the Iranian side’s visit and welcomed the fact that Momeni would lead the delegation himself.

The delegation is expected to include senior officials from Iran’s ministries of agriculture, industry, mining and trade, roads and urban development, and foreign affairs, along with representatives from the cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts sectors. The stated purpose of the trip is to expand cooperation in trade, connectivity and people-to-people links between the two countries.

Possible diplomatic significance

Diplomatic sources, however, said the visit may also help lay the groundwork for another round of indirect contacts between Iran and the United States, with Islamabad increasingly viewed as a possible venue for such engagement later this month.

Although recent rounds of negotiations were held in Burgenstock in Switzerland and in Doha, Tehran continues to prefer Islamabad for future interaction with Washington. Preference is linked to Pakistan’s ties with Iran and Gulf states, as well as its expanding role as a facilitator.

The possibility of Islamabad hosting a future round was also raised at the Foreign Office’s weekly briefing. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the latest indirect talks between Tehran and Washington in Doha had moved forward constructively and indicated that the dialogue remained on course.

"There was positive progress made on issues related to the aspects of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), building on the Lake Lucerne Summit," Andrabi said.

He added that the two sides had agreed to continue discussions after the funeral ceremonies for Iran’s late supreme leader. When asked whether Pakistan could host the next round, Andrabi said he could not rule out meetings in Islamabad in the future, though no formal decision had been made.

Pakistan’s role

Pakistan and Qatar jointly helped facilitate the signing of the Islamabad MoU last month, creating a framework for renewed diplomatic engagement between Iran and the United States after months of tensions. Islamabad has remained in close contact with Tehran and Doha while also keeping channels open with Washington.

In that context, diplomats view the forthcoming Iranian visit as more than a routine bilateral exchange, saying it could serve as a preparatory step for sensitive negotiations that may again place Pakistan at the centre of regional diplomacy.