Iranian president to visit Islamabad this month

Islamabad, March 10: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is scheduled to visit Pakistan at the end of this month in a bid to re-establish bilateral economic ties, the media reported on Thursday.

According to sources, the two-day visit is scheduled from March 25-26, Dawn online reported.

This would be the first visit by an Iranian president to Pakistan after four years. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last visited Islamabad in February 2012 to attend a trilateral summit with Afghan and Pakistani leaders.

Rouhani's visit comes at a time when curbs on Iran have been lifted following a nuclear deal that came into effect in January.

The Iranian president has made a number of overseas trips since the lifting of sanctions to revive his country's trade ties.

Pakistan de-notified the UN sanctions at the end of February paving the way for the re-establishment of trade and business relations.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last visited Tehran in January looking to mediate between Tehran and Riyadh when tensions between the two countries spiked in the aftermath of the execution of activist and Shia cleric, Sheikh Nimr, by Saudi authorities.

The prime minister had earlier paid a bilateral visit to Tehran in May 2014.

IANS