Central Treaty Organization Pakistan and Iraq joined the
Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) in 1955 to oppose the
Soviet Union; however, Iraq withdrew in 1959, following the
14 July Revolution.
Diplomatic rift and tensions Relations between the two countries deteriorated during the 1970s, beginning with the 1971
Organization of Islamic Conference summit in
Lahore. Iraq was the second country and first Arab country to recognise Bangladesh as a sovereign nation after East Germany in 1972. A successful
military operation led to dismantling of Baloch rebels in the province. Most of the military instructors were from the
Pakistan Armed Forces. Around 40,000 military personnel of Pakistan Armed Forces were stationed in
Saudi Arabia to reinforce the internal and external security of the country. President Zia increased Pakistan's security, knowing that since the country was close to the United States, it might get pulled into a war. The high-ranking members of Pakistan Armed Forces objected to the killing of Shiite pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. Zia did not issue any orders to Pakistan Armed Forces-Arab Contingent Forces, to engage any country militarily.
Gulf War and sanctions In 1990, Iraq
invaded Kuwait due to the increasing political tensions between the two Arab nations. Pakistan endorsed the
United States-led
military campaign against Iraq, with Chief of Army staff, General
Aslam Beg and Chairman Joint Chiefs Admiral
Iftikhar Sirohey overseeing the deployment of the Pakistan Armed Forces Middle East Contingent forces. As Iraq's war with Kuwait divided Pakistanis, Beg carefully commanded and deployed the Pakistan Armed Forces' contingent forces during the
Operation Desert Storm. After the
1991 Gulf War, Iraq began building closer relations with India. In 2000, then-Iraqi Vice-president
Taha Yassin Ramadan visited India, and on 6 August 2002, President
Saddam Hussein conveyed Iraq's "unwavering support" to India over the
Kashmir dispute with Pakistan. India and Iraq established joint ministerial committees and trade delegations to promote extensive bilateral co-operation.
Post-Ba'athist era In 2003, before the outbreak of the
Iraq War, Pakistan announced that it was opposed to any military action against Iraq. Pakistan was under public pressure to vote against the war, although some had considered voting for the war. However, after the war ended, Pakistan indicated that it was willing to send its Middle East military contingent forces to Iraq for peacekeeping if they required it. The
United States and the
United Kingdom made many calls for the deployment of the Pakistan military's contingent forces for peacekeeping operations in Iraq. Tensions between the two countries remained intense over the issue of
foreign hostages in Iraq. During 2004–05, 14 Pakistani citizens were made hostages out of which two were killed. However, the relations were normalized following the United States troops
troop withdrawal from Iraq. In 2013, both countries signed a defence pact. Iraq's ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Rushdi Al-Ani claimed that Iraq considers Pakistan "a Muslim
super power" and that Iraq was willing to supply Pakistan with oil unconditionally. In 2014 Iraq purchased the
Super Mushak trainer aircraft from Pakistan as part of improving defense relations between the two countries.
War in Iraq (2013–2017) The
War in Iraq (2013–2017), also known as the
Third Iraq War, was an armed conflict between
Iraq and its allies and the
Islamic State from 2013 to 2017. Neither Iraqis nor Pakistani officials have previously acknowledged Pakistan's role in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq. During a news conference held at the embassy, Iraqi Ambassador Ali Yasin Muhammad Karim stated that Pakistan was one of several nations that backed Iraq in its war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (IS). The purpose of the press conference was to inform Pakistani media of the IS's evacuation from Mosul. Speaking about Pakistan's cooperation, the ambassador stated that in addition to receiving intelligence on terrorists, Iraq also benefited from military medical care, weapons, and ammunition supplied by Pakistan. He mentioned that Pakistan had served as a training ground for a number of the Iraqi pilots that flew against the Islamic State. According to the ambassador, Pakistan and Iraq might deal with the growing presence of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (IS) in the region if they continue their intelligence collaboration. He also commended Pakistan for maintaining its neutral stance in the Middle East.
Recent visits The state visits at ministerial levels by both countries have resulted in the improvement of relations between the two countries.
Bilawal Bhutto, the foreign minister of Pakistan, visited Baghdad on a three-day visit to sign the
Memorandum of Understanding among the Pakistani and Iraqi chambers of federation. During the visit, meetings were held by the foreign minister with the Iraqi leadership laid the foundation stone of Pakistan’s own embassy which was building in Iraq, according to the Pakistani foreign office. Both countries also signed agreements to end the diplomatic visas between both countries on diplomatic level. Pakistan's foreign minister stated Iraq ‘a true friend’ of Pakistan, he expressed the hope to reinvigorate fraternal ties and transform them into exemplary beneficial economic relations. Pakistan's Foreign Minister met with Iraq's President to strengthen ties between the two countries. They pledged to cooperate more in areas like water management, agriculture, defense, and trade. ==Resident diplomatic missions==