ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday expressed the desire to work with Iran “based on the spirit of mutual trust and cooperation” as the two neighbouring countries agreed to “de-escalate the situation” and strengthen coordination on counter-terrorism.
The development came during a telephonic conversation between Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Iran had launched attacks in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan, Iranian state media reported, prompting strong condemnation from Islamabad and downgrading of diplomatic ties.
The Iranian strikes were part of a series of attacks carried out by Iran in recent days in Syria and Iraq as a response to recent terrorist attacks on its territory. They have heightened concerns about regional stability, particularly amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
The next day, Pakistan struck “hideouts used by terrorist organisations namely Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)” in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, in an intelligence-based operation codenamed ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’.
Iran’s IRNA news agency had reported that nine people were killed in the attack targeting a village in the city of Saravan, with Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi saying all the dead “were foreign nationals”.
Iran had condemned the strikes, and summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires “to protest and request an explanation from the Pakistani government”, a statement by foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani had said.
However, the Iranian foreign ministry later said in a press release that it was committed to good neighbourly relations with Pakistan while condemning what it said was an “unbalanced and unacceptable drone attack on non-Iranian villagers”.
Following Pakistan’s tit-for-tat response to Iran’s missile attack, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, who was in Switzerland for the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), decided to cut short his visit.
Similarly, FM Jilani, who was in Uganda to attend a ministerial meeting of the non-aligned movement, also decided to return to the country.
According to the FO statement issued today, the foreign minister spoke to the Iranian FM and underscored the “close brotherly relations” between Pakistan and Iran. He expressed Pakistan’s desire to “work with Iran based on the spirit of mutual trust and cooperation”.
“The foreign minister stressed that respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty must underpin this cooperation,” it said.
“The two foreign ministers agreed that working level cooperation and close coordination on counter terrorism and other aspects of mutual concern should be strengthened. They also agreed to de-escalate the situation,” the FO said.
The return of ambassadors of the two countries to their respective capitals was also discussed, it added.
In a separate statement earlier, the FO said FM Jilani expressed Pakistan’s readiness to work with Iran on all issues and underscored the need for closer cooperation on security issues.
The Iranian embassy in Islamabad said the two top diplomats had “a very good phone talk to restore relations to a high level.”
Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, director general of West Asia at Iran’s foreign ministry, hoped that a “new record” in de-escalation could be set between the two countries by the return of ambassadors to capitals and mutual visits of the foreign ministers.
Rahim Hayat Qureshi, Pakistan’s additional secretary for West Asia, appreciated Mousavi and Iran’s embassy for “the constructive efforts made for the early de-escalation”.
“We look forward to many high-level engagements in the future,” he added. Iranian Ambassador Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam said his country was “fully committed to the territorial integrity” of Pakistan.
