Iran has full right to peaceful nuclear power, says Shehbaz at joint presser with Pezeshkian
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday backed Iran’s right to acquire nuclear power for peaceful purposes, saying that Islamabad stood by Tehran on this key matter.
“Pakistan stands by Iran for the acquisition of peaceful nuclear power,” said PM Shehbaz during a joint presser alongside Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is on his maiden two-day visit to the country.
Pakistan’s support comes against the backdrop of international opposition faced by Iran regarding its nuclear programme, which recently became the centre point of its war with Israel.
The conflict saw the United States carrying out strikes on multiple nuclear sites in Iran.
After the US and its European allies namely France, Germany and the United Kingdom, agreed to set the end of August as the de facto deadline for reaching a nuclear deal with Iran, Tehran has held “frank” nuclear talks with the said European countries — a move which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes could eventually lead to the resumption of inspections of nuclear sites in Iran.
The European countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to the 2015 deal — from which the US withdrew in 2018 — which lifted sanctions on Iran in return for restrictions on its nuclear programme.
A deadline of October 18 is fast approaching when the resolution governing that deal expires.
At that point, all UN sanctions on Iran will be lifted unless the “snapback” mechanism is triggered at least 30 days before. This would automatically reimpose those sanctions, which target sectors from hydrocarbons to banking and defence.
Addressing a joint presser with the Iranian president, PM Shehbaz said that discussions were held between the two countries on bilateral relations, geographical and other issues.
“Several MoUs have been signed with Iran today. I hope these will take the form of agreements very soon,” the premier said, adding that the two countries have set out a $10 billion trade target.
Expanding on Iran’s recent war with Israel, PM Shehbaz condemned the former’s unjustified attack and prayed for those martyred in Iran.
Lauding Tehran’s leadership for its support to the Palestinians, the prime minister drew a comparison between the situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) while urging the civilised world to raise its voice against the atrocities in Gaza.
“The world must unite for peace in Gaza,” PM Shehbaz said.
Meanwhile, expressing gratitude for the hospitality, Iranian President Pezeshkian termed Pakistan his “second home”.
Noting that he held fruitful discussions with the Pakistani leadership, the Iranian president thanked Islamabad for its support against Israeli aggression and underscored the dire need for unity among the Muslim Ummah.
Expressing his views on the bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries, the visiting dignitary said that Pakistan-Iran relations were based on common culture and religion and good relations with Islamabad were part of Tehran’s foreign policy.
“We are advancing bilateral relations in various dimensions. Promoting bilateral cooperation in political, economic and cultural fields is a priority,” he said while stressing the significance of MoUs signing.
The president also said that the two countries were engaged in bilateral cooperation to improve border security.
MoUs
Prior to the joint presser, the two countries exchanged 12 agreements and MoUs for promotion of bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, Radio Pakistan reported.
The agreements and MoUs included cooperation for plant protection and plant quarantine; joint use of Mirjaveh-Taftan border gate; collaboration in science, technology and innovation; cooperation in information and communications technology, exchange programmes for culture, art, tourism, youth, mass media and exports cooperation in meteorology, climatology and related hazards; MoUs on maritime safety and firefighting; judicial assistance in criminal matters; supplemental MoU to an MoU in 2013 related to air services agreement; MoU on recognition of products certification, inspection and testing; tourism cooperation for 2025-27 and joint ministerial statement on the intent to finalise Free Trade Agreement.
Earlier, Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan met Iranian Minister for Industry, Mines and Trade, Mohammad Atabak, on the sidelines of President Pezeshkian’s official visit.
The high-level discussion marked a renewed commitment from both sides to accelerate trade, remove border bottlenecks, and build trust-based partnerships across priority sectors.
During the meeting, Jam Kamal emphasised that Pakistan was ready to deepen its economic relationship with Iran through structured channels like the Joint Economic Commission (JEC), regular B2B exchanges, and sector-focused delegations.
Both ministers agreed on the importance of identifying specific sectors such as agriculture, livestock, services, energy, and cross-border logistics for future collaboration.
Jam Kamal suggested organising targeted trade delegations that include representatives from federal and provincial chambers of commerce, enabling focused discussions on market access and regulatory facilitation.
The ministers also expressed a shared commitment to increasing the use of existing trade corridors and border facilities. Emphasis was placed on maximising the potential of neighbourhood trade, with Jam Kamal highlighting how ASEAN countries have benefited enormously by trading within their region.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Atabak supported the idea of holding a dedicated B2B day during every high-level visit and offered to bring Iranian business groups to Pakistan for in-depth meetings.
“Traders and industrialists in both countries are ready. They trust each other. What they need now is a clear and consistent facilitation mechanism from our sides,” Atabak noted.
