Top Iranian military commander arrives in Pakistan on three-day visit

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major-General Mohammad Bagheri, leading a high-ranking military delegation, has arrived in the capital on a three-day visit.

According to the Iranian official newswire IRNA, the top leadership of Iran landed in Pakistan on Tuesday to expand bilateral military and defence diplomacy.

Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mohammad Ali Hosseini, Defense attaché Colonel Mosatafa Qanbarpour and Lieutenant General Saqib Mehmood Malik Chief of Logistics Staff of Pakistan Army had received the Iranian delegation at Nur Khan Air Base in Islamabad.

The Iranian commander is in Pakistan at the invitation of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

During his stay, General Bagheri will meet senior Pakistani political, military and security officials, including Prime Minister Imran Khan, COAS, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) General Nadeem Raza.

The visiting delegation will also travel to Karachi to see Pakistani military and naval installations.

The reason behind the visit of the Iranian delegation is to open a new chapter in the military, defence and security ties between Iran and Pakistan, said IRNA.

The two sides will also evaluate the security developments in the region and the Islamic world, including the situation in Afghanistan, it added.

The visit denoted the mutual resolve of the Pakistani and Iranian military officials to improve bilateral cooperation, border security development, contributing to regional stability, forge a joint vision for peace and stability in Afghanistan, consultation on the Islamic world issues and fight against terrorism.