KARACHI: Pakistan will not be signing a free trade agreement with Iran during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit on April 21, his adviser on commerce said on Thursday, as Tehran tries to expand its influence and commercial ties to friendly countries to help offset renewed US sanctions.
This is Khan’s first visit to Iran since he took over power last year. The trip will last two days and include a brief stopover in Mashhad before the prime minister goes onwards to Tehran for bilateral talks with Iranian leaders, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Rouhani.
“No Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will be signed during the visit,” Abdul Razak Dawood, the prime minister’s adviser on commerce. “There will be no discussion on FTA,” he added, saying talks on starting barter trade with Iran would be part of general discussions.
Despite being close neighbors, Pakistan and Iran have failed to enhance bilateral trade volume beyond $400 million in the last five years, mainly due to sanctions imposed on Tehran by Washington.
Pakistan’s business leaders have repeatedly called for a system of barter trade with Iran to help bypass US sanctions.
“Pakistan and Iran should open barter trade to avoid US sanctions,” Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Senior Vice Federation of the Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, told Arab News. “Banking networking approval has been granted by both countries and it should be finalized which banks will be allowed to open branches in Iran and Pakistan.”
“We have lost major trade volumes due to lack of barter trade and absence of banking channels,” Baig said.
Ties between Pakistan and Iran suffered a serious blow in February after Iran said a Pakistani had carried out a suicide bombing that killed 27 members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards near the border with Pakistan.
Iran has repeatedly blamed Pakistan for sheltering militants connected with attacks in the border area, although February’s remarks were the first time Tehran has said Pakistani citizens were directly involved in the attack. Pakistan vehemently denies all charges.
Pakistan says no free trade agreement with Iran during PM’s visit
Pakistan says no free trade agreement with Iran during PM’s visit
- Khan will visit Iran for two days on April 21 on his maiden trip to the country
- PM’s adviser on commerce says Khan will discuss launching barter trade system with Iran to bypass US sanctions
US freezes visa processing for 75 countries, media reports Pakistan included
- State Department announces indefinite pause on immigrant visas starting Jan 21
- Move underscores Trump’s hard-line immigration push despite close Pakistan-US ties
ISLAMABAD: The United States will pause immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries starting Jan. 21, the State Department said on Wednesday, with Fox News and other media outlets reporting that Pakistan is among the countries affected by the indefinite suspension.
The move comes as the Trump administration presses ahead with a broad immigration crackdown, with Pakistan included among the affected countries despite strong ongoing diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Washington on economic cooperation, regional diplomacy and security matters.
Fox News, citing an internal State Department memo, said US embassies had been instructed to refuse immigrant visas under existing law while Washington reassesses screening and vetting procedures. The report said the pause would apply indefinitely and covers countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the Department of State said in a post on X.
According to Fox News and Pakistan news outlets like Dawn, the list of affected countries includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Brazil and Thailand, among others.
“The suspension could delay travel, study, and work plans for thousands of Pakistanis who annually seek US visas. Pakistani consulates in the US are expected to provide guidance to affected applicants in the coming days,” Dawn reported.
A State Department spokesman declined comment when Arab News reached out via email to confirm if Pakistan was on the list.
The Department has not publicly released the full list of countries or clarified which visa categories would be affected, nor has it provided a timeline for when processing could resume.
Trump has made immigration enforcement a central pillar of his agenda since returning to office last year, reviving and expanding the use of the “public charge” provision of US immigration law to restrict entry by migrants deemed likely to rely on public benefits.
During his previous term as president, Trump imposed sweeping travel restrictions on several Muslim-majority countries, a policy widely referred to as a “Muslim ban,” which was challenged in US courts before a revised version was upheld by the Supreme Court. That policy was later rescinded under the President Joe Biden administration.
The latest visa freeze marks a renewed hardening of US immigration policy, raising uncertainty for migrants from affected countries as Washington reassesses its screening and vetting procedures.
The freeze on visas comes amid an intensifying crackdown on immigration enforcement by the Trump administration. In Minneapolis last week, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good, a US citizen, during a federal operation, an incident that has drawn nationwide protests and scrutiny of ICE tactics. Family members and local officials have challenged the federal account of the shooting, even as Department of Homeland Security officials defended the agent’s actions. The case has prompted resignations by federal prosecutors and heightened debate over the conduct of immigration enforcement under the current administration.
