Iran, Pakistan must work together to root out terrorist groups: MP
By Sadeq Dehqan
Staff writer
An Iranian lawmaker said Iran and Pakistan, as victims of terrorism, must stand together in eliminating terrorist groups along their borders.
In an interview with Iran Daly, Fada-Hossein Maleki expressed his country’s expectation that Pakistan would join hands with Iran until the complete eradication of the threat of terrorism.
Referring to the bilateral meetings on countering terrorism in the past and the upcoming visit of the foreign ministers, the Iranian MP said, “Terrorist groups’ operations along the Iran-Pakistan border are orchestrated from outside, aiming to disrupt regional stability and strain bilateral relations”.
At the invitation of the Pakistani foreign minister, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will travel to Pakistan on January 29.
The two neighboring countries witnessed an escalation of cross-border tensions over Iran’s counter-terrorism operations on January 16.
On that date, Iran launched simultaneous drone and missile attacks on two bases of Jaish al-Adl, a terror group that was formed in 2012, and has conducted several attacks on Iranian soil in recent years.
The group claimed responsibility for an attack in December 2023 on a police station in the southeastern city of Rask that killed 11 Iranian police officers. On January 10, another attack by the group on a police station in the city killed one officer.
Also, characterizing it as a response to Tehran’s operation against terrorist bases inside Pakistan, nine people, including four children, were killed after Islamabad admitted attacking a village in Saravan in Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province.
Pakistan carried out the strikes on Thursday against what it called bases of the separatist Baloch Liberation Front and Baloch Liberation Army in regions close to Iran’s border.
The parliamentary representative highlighted the deep relationship between the two countries, stating that while border issues and challenges have existed at times, they have never led to a breakdown in bilateral relations.
“Certainly, the security authorities of Iran and Pakistan have close ties, both sides respect each other’s territorial integrity, and there will be further cooperation between the two countries in combating terrorist groups,” Maleki stated.
“It is inevitable that there will be border issues between the two countries in the future. However, Iran and Pakistan will never stand against each other, and the two countries will always remain side by side,” he said.
Maleki also commented on the bloodshed caused by Israeli attacks on Gaza, saying, “After these attacks, which led to the deaths of thousands of innocent people in Gaza, the savage nature and aggression of the Zionists have become more evident to the people of the world, and we are witnessing significant changes in the region.”
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 25,295 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory during the war that erupted on October 7.
“The Zionists are currently seeking to pursue two goals by any means possible: firstly, to destabilize various regions in the area; and secondly, to engage Iran in a war of attrition. In essence, the Zionists aim to create turmoil and various problems worldwide,” the parliamentarian said.
“However, the goals of the Zionists have not been realized due to the management and strategic measures taken by our officials and military commanders. Of course, implementing these measures by Iran doesn’t mean that we do not respond to the actions of the Zionists; rather, it signifies our intention not to let the region fall further into turmoil”.
“Certainly, at the appropriate time, a firm response will be given to the conspiracies and actions of the Zionist regime in the region,” he concluded.