TEHRAN: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday hailed Iran and Pakistan as partners in maintaining regional peace and stability during a meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Pakistan and Iran agreed in August that peace and prosperity in their border regions hinged on effectively combating terrorism. The nearly 900-kilometre border between the two countries has long faced security threats from proscribed groups, such as Jaish al-Adl and the Balochistan Liberation Army. Pakistan and Iran share close ties but persistent issues, including terrorism, smuggling, and mutual accusations of harbouring militants, have periodically strained relations.
The interior minister is currently on a visit to Iran at a time of sustained tension with two of Pakistan’s neighbours, Iran and Afghanistan.
A press release issued today said he met President Pezeshkian, with the two discussing bilateral and bilateral cooperation.
“Iran and Pakistan are partners in regional peace and stability,” the press release quoted Naqvi as saying, adding that he conveyed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s “message of goodwill” to President Pezeshkian.
The interior minister also briefed the Iranian president on matters related to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with Pezeshkian offering to play a “fraternal role” in easing the tensions between the two countries.
President Pezeshkian said Iran attached “special importance” to its relations with Pakistan and it could not forget the “immense support” from Islamabad.
Expressing satisfaction over bilateral relations, the Iranian president stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between the two countries to take advantage of vast opportunities.
Islamabad and Tehran’s renewed commitment to maintaining regional peace comes at a time when Pakistan is witnessing a deterioration in ties with Afghanistan, with recent border skirmishes, counter-statements and allegations.
The hostilities began earlier this month when an attack was launched on Pakistan from Afghanistan on the night of October 11. The attack had followed an allegation from the Taliban of airstrikes by Pakistan into Afghanistan — an accusation which Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied.
For its part, Islamabad has long demanded that the Taliban stop terror groups from using its soil against Pakistan. Taliban, however, deny the allegation of allowing terrorists to operate from Afghan soil.
Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to grapple with the issue of terrorism and has suffered multiple casualties among security forces in intelligence-based operations.
After the initial skirmish on Oct 11, multiple others took place along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Meanwhile, strikes by Islamabad also targeted Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan.
Eventually, the two sides came together for dialogue in Doha, which resulted in a temporary ceasefire, as well as a commitment to reconvene in Istanbul to work on mechanisms for lasting peace and stability between the two countries.
Last week, the second round of talks, which were being mediated by Turkiye and Qatar, between the two sides began in the Turkish capital.
But earlier today, Tarar announced in a post on X that the latest round of talks between Islamabad and Kabul in Istanbul “failed to bring about any workable solution”. He also asserted that Pakistan would continue to take all possible measures to protect its citizens from terrorism.
Meetings with Iranian security officials
Naqvi also held separate meetings with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Ardeshir Larijani and Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni during his visit to Tehran.
Naqvi and Larijani discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in the field of security.
The meeting focused on counterterrorism, anti-narcotics efforts, and improved border management between the two, with both sides emphasising the need for closer collaboration and institutional linkages to address shared challenges.
“We are keen to expand cooperation with Iran, especially in the areas of security and counter-narcotics,” Naqvi said.
Secretary Larijani described the positive progress in bilateral relations as “encouraging and constructive”.
In a separate meeting, the two interior ministers discussed expanding mutual cooperation on internal security matters. Naqvi congratulated his Iranian counterpart on the successful hosting of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Ministerial Conference, terming it a “significant milestone with far-reaching implications” for member states.
“We wish to benefit from each other’s experiences on internal security matters,” Naqvi said, extending an invitation to Momeni to visit Pakistan.
Accepting the invitation, Momeni said he would soon travel to Islamabad and also thanked Naqvi for Pakistan’s participation in the ECO conference.
Interior Secretary Khurram Agha, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, senior officials from Iran’s interior ministry and diplomatic representatives were also present during the meetings.
