Pakistani envoy reaffirms ’unbreakable bonds’ with Iran amid terrorism threats
By Sadeq Dehqan
Staff writer
Pakistani Ambassador in Tehran Muhammad Mudassir Tipu describes the bonds between Iran and Pakistan as strong enough not to be broken by the threat of terrorism.
In an interview with Iran Daily, Tipu called terrorism a significant threat to the entire region and to Iran-Pakistan ties, saying, “Terrorists want to derail the relationship between Pakistan and Iran. This is their primary agenda and we have to be very careful in that regard,” the Pakistani ambassador said.
Acknowledging external support for terrorism, Tipu expressed full confidence in the leadership of both countries and their societies, stating that both sides “are capable enough to understand their long-term strategic interests, and to understand that we have unbreakable bonds.”
Earlier last month, Iran and Pakistan experienced an escalation of cross-border tensions due to Tehran’s counter-terrorism operations.
To address these tensions, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made an official visit to Pakistan, reaching constructive agreements on enhancing bilateral relations and combating terrorism.
Regarding these developments, the Pakistani ambassador expressed satisfaction with the wise and judicious leadership of both sides, saying that the efforts made “for rapprochement” are truly remarkable.
“I am very hopeful that now Pakistan and Iran have a very strong roadmap to pursue their diplomatic, political, economic, and trade ties. We have a great deal of confidence in each other,” he said.
“Our destinies are collective. So, we must both work together to fight terrorism and to build a better and stronger future,” the envoy added.
On January 16, Iran launched simultaneous drone and missile attacks on two bases of Jaish al-Adl terrorist group that claimed responsibility for an attack in December 2023 on a police station in the southeastern city of Rask, killing 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 January 18 against what it called bases of the separatist Baloch Liberation Front and Baloch Liberation Army in regions close to Iran’s border.
Regarding these tensions, the ambassador reiterated that the enemies seek to create disruption between the two countries. According to the Pakistani official, preventing such disruption is crucial, considering the complexity of terrorism.
“They [enemies of the two countries] wanted to create turbulence among the two historic neighbors, who have been very peaceful, and who are deeply connected to each other. This is what we now have to guard against,” he said.
There is a need to educate people, societies, and institutions for greater collaboration, Tipu said.
“I think more collaboration at a political level, at a diplomatic level, and at an intelligence level. And to have a robust mechanism where we can share information in a timely manner,” the ambassador concluded.