Several major routes across Lahore have been sealed, causing traffic disruptions and confusion among residents.

 

According to official sources, the road blockages are temporary, as Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to arrive in Lahore today for a two-day state visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

 

President Pezeshkian is expected to first visit the Mausoleum of Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal. He will then travel to Islamabad, where he is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with Pakistan’s civil and military leadership, including the President, the Prime Minister, and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, according to officials.

 

The Iranian President will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, senior ministers, and other top officials.

 

Pezeshkian will be the second Iranian president to visit Pakistan in as many years. The visit was initially scheduled for the last week of July.

 

Reports suggest that a key objective of the visit is to expand cross-border and provincial cooperation, with hopes of boosting trade volumes beyond the current $3 billion.

 

However, the visit is also expected to focus on recent regional developments, including the Iran-Israel conflict in June, tensions in South Asia, and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

 

On May 26, PM Shehbaz, along with the army chief, visited Tehran following the Pakistan-India conflict, to thank “brotherly Iran” for its support to Pakistan.

 

The Iranian Foreign Minister visited both New Delhi and Islamabad in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. Iranian President Pezeshkian later spoke with both Pakistani and Indian leaders as part of Iran’s mediation efforts.

 

Weeks later, as Iran came under missile, drone, and other attacks from Israel, Islamabad expressed full solidarity with Tehran.