Pakistan PM meets Iran parliamentary speaker, discusses trade and economic development

Pakistan PM meets Iran parliamentary speaker, discusses trade and economic development
Speaker of the Iranian parliament, Dr. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (second-left) in conversation with Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif (right) at the Prime Minister's office in Islamabad, Pakistan, on November 7, 2025. (Government of Pakistan)
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Updated 8 min 34 sec ago

Pakistan PM meets Iran parliamentary speaker, discusses trade and economic development

Pakistan PM meets Iran parliamentary speaker, discusses trade and economic development
  • Pakistan and Iran, which have remained at odds over instability along their shared border, plan to raise their bilateral trade volume to $10 billion
  • Both countries have exchanged several agreements, memorandums of understanding for bilateral cooperation in diverse fields in recent months

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday met with Dr. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran parliament, and discussed with him bilateral trade and economic development among other affairs, Sharif’s office said.

Pakistan and Iran, which have remained at odds over instability along their shared border, plan to raise their bilateral trade to $10 billion from the existing around $3 billion.

The two countries have exchanged several agreements, memorandums of understanding for bilateral cooperation in diverse fields during high-level interactions in recent months.

During his meeting with Speaker Ghalibaf, PM Sharif said Pakistan and Iran share the resolve of global peace, prosperity and positive cooperation and are determined to work in cohesion and cooperation for the Muslim world.

“Pakistan is eager to foster cooperation in the fields of mutual interest, including economic development and bilateral trade,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office.

Speaker Ghalibaf expressed his gratitude to the prime minister and the people of Pakistan for their support in the Iran-Israel conflict in June.

“The support shown by Pakistan in the 12-day war is deeply appreciated and cherished by the people of Iran,” he was quoted as saying by Sharif’s office.

“Iran and Pakistan firmly believe in the unity of Muslim Ummah and in the message of global peace.”

Expressing special gratitude to the Pakistani National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the Iranian speaker cherished the positive and robust cooperation between parliaments of both countries.

He expressed Iran’s commitment to further enhance bilateral cooperation with Pakistan.


Starlink signs landmark global direct-to-cell deal with Veon as satellite-to-phone race heats up

Starlink signs landmark global direct-to-cell deal with Veon as satellite-to-phone race heats up
Updated 8 sec ago

Starlink signs landmark global direct-to-cell deal with Veon as satellite-to-phone race heats up

Starlink signs landmark global direct-to-cell deal with Veon as satellite-to-phone race heats up
  • Direct-to-cell technology allows smartphones to connect to satellite networks in space that beam telephone signals back to Earth
  • The deal will enable Veon, which operates in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan, to provide service in Kazakhstan and Ukraine

Elon Musk’s Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, secured its largest direct-to-cell deal yet with telecoms group Veon, granting access to over 150 million potential customers, both companies said on Thursday, as competition in satellite-to-smartphone connectivity intensifies.

Direct-to-cell technology allows smartphones to connect to satellite networks in space that beam telephone signals back to Earth. The market has gained momentum with significant investment aimed at closing coverage gaps in remote areas.

The deal will enable Veon to integrate Starlink’s service into its networks, starting with operators Beeline in Kazakhstan and Kyivstar in Ukraine.

Veon also operates in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. Kyivstar will launch the service in the fourth quarter of 2025, with Beeline following in 2026. The Kazakhstan agreement was announced during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Washington on Thursday.

“This is the biggest partnership in terms of addressable customer base in the world,” Ilya Polshakov, Kyivstar’s new business director who spearheaded Veon’s satellite connectivity efforts, told Reuters. “There will be more announced soon.”

The partnership remains nonexclusive, allowing Veon to pursue agreements with other satellite providers. CEO Kaan Terzioglu told Reuters in August that Veon was in discussions with Amazon’s Project Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, and Eutelsat OneWeb.

“These plans with other players will be in 2027, 2028. I don’t want to wait. I want to develop business today,” Polshakov said.

Competitors including AST SpaceMobile and Amazon’s Project Kuiper are advancing their satellite constellations, with initial commercial launches anticipated in 2026.

AST has already signed deals with Verizon and Saudi carrier STC. EchoStar said on Thursday that it would expand its previous deal with SpaceX to sell additional US airwave rights to Starlink for $2.6 billion, allowing Musk’s company to access more customers.

Starlink has more than 7 million users globally and partners with telecom operators in 11 countries, including T-Mobile in the US and Rogers in Canada, operating over 8,000 satellites, of which 650 are dedicated to direct-to-cell services.