Iranian foreign minister reaches Islamabad amid tension between Pakistan, India

ISLAMABAD: Amid escalating tensions between Pakistna and India after an attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in April, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Islamabad on Monday for a one-day visit to meet with top leaders, officials said.

Islamabad has denied India's allegations that Pakistan was involved in the fatal attack. The government of Pakistan has said it has "credible intelligence" that India plans to use force, escalating the likelihood of conflict between the rival nations with nuclear weapons.

Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam told state media the Pakistan-India standoff would be on the agenda.

"Given Iran's close relations with both Pakistan and India, ways of reducing tension in the subcontinent will be among issues ... pursued during Araqchi's meetings," he added.

The Iranian foreign minister was received by Additional Secretary West Asia Syed Asad Gillani, Moghadam, and other senior Pakistani officials.

During the visit, he will hold important meetings with the Pakistani leadership, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

Araqchi, who will be in Islamabad for a day, is expected to visit Delhi later this week. It was not immediately clear if the visits were planned prior to the latest tension.

"The two sides will also exchange views on regional and global developments," Pakistan's FO said in a statement.

India's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It has previously ruled out third-party mediation in matters related to Kashmir.

According to an FO statement, this high-level visit reflects the deep-rooted and strong relationship between Pakistan and the brotherly nation of Iran.

It also underscores the two countries’ shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation across all areas of mutual interest. The two sides will also exchange views on regional and global developments.

Since the attack, Islamabad has been in touch with a number of capitals regarding the situation, its FO said, most recently through a telephone call between Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

"Lavrov expressed concern over the situation and stressed the importance of diplomacy to resolve issues," the FO said in a statement on Sunday, adding that he urged restraint on both sides, asking them to avoid escalation.

Islamabad has also asked its United Nations envoy to seek a meeting of the UN Security Council to brief the body on what it called India's "aggressive actions" risking peace and security.

— With additional input from APP