Zardari visits Baghdad shrines, meets Iraqi leaders

President Asif Ali Zardari, who is on a four-day official visit to Iraq, on Monday visited important religious shrines in Baghdad and prayed for peace, unity and security of the Muslim Ummah, as Islamabad and Baghdad seek to deepen bilateral cooperation.

During the visit, the President paid homage to the shrines of Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, Imam Musa al-Kazim and Imam Muhammad al-Taqi al-Jawad, where he offered nawafil, met with the shrine administrators and recorded his remarks in the guest books. He also visited the shrine of Imam Abu Hanifa and offered prayers.

Read: Zardari arrives in Baghdad for an official visit

According to an official statement, President Zardari described the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt as an eternal source of knowledge, patience, wisdom and moral strength, and prayed for harmony and stability in the Muslim world.

The religious engagements were accompanied by high-level diplomatic meetings. Earlier, President Zardari met Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid at Baghdad Palace, where he was formally welcomed and decorated with a guard of honor. The two leaders held one-on-one talks, followed by delegation-level discussions and a lunch hosted by the Iraqi president.

President Zardari arrived in Baghdad earlier this week and was received by Iraqi Culture Minister Dr. Ahmed Fakkak Al-Badrani. During the visit, meetings with senior Iraqi leaders are expected to advance cooperation and further strengthen Pakistan-Iraq relations.

During his meetings with officials, President Zardari made clear that current levels of bilateral trade do not reflect the true potential of Pakistan-Iraq relations and called for expanded cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture and defense production, while also identifying opportunities in information technology, construction and pharmaceuticals.

He highlighted the need for stronger business-to-business ties, reciprocal trade delegations and the creation of direct banking channels to facilitate commercial activity. The President reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to support Iraq’s reconstruction by providing skilled and semi-skilled manpower under an existing memorandum of understanding, and highlighted Pakistan’s capacity in medical services, financial expertise and digital governance, including secure data management.

Learn more: Pakistan, Iraq pledge to strengthen bilateral cooperation

He also called for better facilitation for Pakistani pilgrims and early finalization of the memorandum of understanding on the management of Zaire, while affirming Pakistan’s determination to curb illegal entries and overstays. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation against extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking, as well as deepen coordination in regional and multilateral forums.

En route from Islamabad, the president also delivered a message of goodwill to Iranian leaders as his plane entered Iranian airspace, reaffirming solidarity with Iran and emphasizing mutual respect and the importance of stronger regional relations.