ISLAMABAD (special crosspondent) – Pakistan’s Prime Minister received a telephone call from Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday afternoon, marking the first high-level contact between the two leaders since the signing of the historic Islamabad Peace Deal.

In the conversation, which lasted over thirty minutes, the Prime Minister congratulated President Pezeshkian, the Iranian leadership, and the people of Iran on the landmark agreement. He expressed that the deal would not only help restore regional peace but also significantly contribute to rebuilding the Iranian nation and strengthening Pakistan-Iran relations across all areas of mutual interest.

The Prime Minister also conveyed his respectful regards to His Eminence Ayatollah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. While commending Iran’s decision to sign the peace accord, he wished the Iranian side success in the subsequent phase of negotiations and assured President Pezeshkian of Pakistan’s continued support as a brotherly and neighboring country in all spheres.

On his part, President Pezeshkian extended his gratitude on behalf of the Iranian nation and himself. He thanked the Prime Minister and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for their “extremely critical roles” in skillfully and sincerely steering the mediation process to a successful conclusion. He stated that Iran would always remember Pakistan’s positive and constructive efforts and its support during challenging times, a sentiment also reflected when the Bahraini Foreign Minister praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts.

Conveying his best wishes for the people of Pakistan, the Iranian President affirmed that Iran is keen to enhance and expand bilateral ties with Pakistan. The successful signing of the accord was earlier hailed by President Asif Ali Zardari as a historic achievement for regional stability.

Both leaders concluded the call by agreeing to visit each other’s capitals at the earliest opportunity to advance the excellent cooperation between their countries on bilateral and regional matters. They also agreed to remain in close contact in the coming days.