Islamabad, 05 August , 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan and Iran have agreed to enhance bilateral trade by upgrading border facilities, introducing round-the-clock border operations, improving logistics infrastructure, and streamlining customs procedures. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and a six-member Iranian delegation led by Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mines and Trade, Seyyed Mohammad Atabak, in Islamabad on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain, Jam Kamal Khan, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistants Syed Tariq Fatemi, Haroon Akhtar, Talha Burki, and senior government officials.
Both sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the mining sector, with a particular focus on the processing and value addition of precious stones to enhance economic opportunities. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed that Pakistan highly values its close and brotherly relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. He emphasized that Pakistan will continue its sincere diplomatic efforts to promote peace and stability across the region.
The Prime Minister recalled his recent productive discussions with Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, which focused on promoting lasting regional peace and further strengthening Pakistan-Iran bilateral relations, particularly in the trade sector. Expressing confidence in the future of bilateral economic cooperation, Prime Minister Shehbaz said that the sustained efforts of both countries would help achieve the bilateral trade target of US$10 billion, as envisioned by the leadership of Pakistan and Iran. He highlighted that expanding trade in food products, agricultural commodities, and related sectors would generate substantial economic benefits for both nations.
The Prime Minister also conveyed his best wishes to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei and President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian. Iranian Minister Seyyed Mohammad Atabak thanked the Government of Pakistan for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to the Iranian delegation. He appreciated Pakistan’s leadership and people for their sincere diplomatic efforts toward regional peace and for expressing solidarity with Iran. Reaffirming Tehran’s commitment to strengthening economic and commercial ties with Pakistan, the Iranian minister noted that technical-level negotiations on the proposed Pakistan-Iran Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are currently underway, expressing optimism that the agreement would further boost bilateral trade and investment.