Pakistan, Iran acknowledge terrorism as common threat
Pakistan
Islamabad stresses the need for joint efforts to tackle the change
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk/Dunya News) – Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Monday said terrorism was common threat to both Pakistan and Iran, requiring both nations to adopt joint measures and actions to tackle the challenge.
Stable and close relations between Pakistan and Iran were vital to regional peace, said Jilani who also noted that they promised to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of each other. High-level contact was important for both nations, he added.
He was addressing a press conference along with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian after the two sides hold talks on various issues with a special focus on the recent cross-border missile strikes by the two countries.
They would not provide any opportunity to the terrorists to become a regional security threat, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian vowed and said they had damaged the relations between the two neighbours.
He also mentioned that they had discussed in detail for finding out ways and means to enhance trade between the markets located along the Pakistan-Iran border.
Abdollahian said the terrorists present in the border region were a serious threat to both countries, as two sides reached an understanding on achieving the targets set for peaceful ties.
A third country was providing assistance to the terrorists on both sides of the border, he noted and expressed his best wishes for successful elections in Pakistan, which are scheduled to be held on Feb 8.
Iran and Pakistan do not have any border conflict, the visiting top diplomat told reporters and praised Islamabad for its stance on the Palestine issue.
Earlier on Sunday, Iran's foreign minister landed in Pakistan for talks, as both nations sought to ease tensions after deadly cross-border strikes threatened diplomatic relations.
On January 18, Pakistan launched air strikes on what it called "militant targets" in Iran, two days after similar Iranian strikes on its territory.
The tit-for-tat raids in the porous border region of Balochistan -- split between the two nations -- stoked regional tensions already inflamed by the Gaza war.
On Saturday, gunmen in south-eastern Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan province killed nine people, with Islamabad's ambassador identifying them as Pakistanis.
Sistan-Baluchistan is one of the few mainly Sunni Muslim provinces in Shia-dominated Iran.
It has seen persistent unrest involving cross-border drug-smuggling gangs and rebels from the Baloch ethnic minority, as well as jihadists.
The initial Iranian strikes, which Pakistan said killed at least two children, drew a sharp rebuke from Islamabad, which recalled its ambassador from Tehran and blocked Iran's envoy from returning to his post.
Tehran also summoned Islamabad's charge d'affaires over Pakistan's strikes, which left at least nine people dead.
The two countries, however, since announced they have decided to de-escalate and resume diplomatic missions with the two ambassadors returning to their posts.
