Pakistan denounced the strike near the nations’ shared border.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has targeted terrorist hideouts inside the Iranian border after Iran violated the country’s sovereignty and launched a strike in Balochistan that left two children dead and injured three girls.
“This morning Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement said a number of terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based operation — codenamed “Marg Bar Sarmachar”.
The development came after Tehran claimed it launched “missile and drone” targeting the Jaish al-Adl group’s headquarters in Balochistan’s “Green Mountain” area.
Pakistan denounced the strike near the nations’ shared border.
“Last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,” FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement on Wednesday.
In a statement today, the FO said over the last several years, in our engagements with Iran, Pakistan has consistently shared its serious concerns about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by Pakistani-origin terrorists calling themselves “Sarmachars” on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran.
Pakistan also shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists, it added.
However, because of a lack of action on our serious concerns, these so-called Sarmachars continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity.
“This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities by these so called Sarmachars,” read the statement.
Islamabad said the action is a manifestation of Pakistan’s unflinching resolve to protect and defend its national security against all threats.
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“The successful execution of this highly complex operation is also a testimony to the professionalism of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan will continue to take all necessary steps to preserve the safety and security of its people which is sacrosanct, inviolable and sacred.”
However, the communique said Pakistan fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iran and the sole objective of today’s act was in pursuit of Pakistan’s own security and national interest which is paramount and cannot be compromised.
“As a responsible member of the international community, Pakistan upholds the principles and purposes of the UN Charter including territorial integrity and sovereignty of member states. Guided by these principles, and in exercise of our legitimate rights within international law, Pakistan will never allow its sovereignty and territorial integrity to be challenged, under any pretext or circumstances.”
Terming Iran a brotherly country, the FO said the people of Pakistan have great respect and affection for the Iranian people.
“We have always emphasised dialogue and cooperation in confronting common challenges including the menace of terrorism and will continue to endevaour to find joint solutions.”
A day earlier, hours after Iran’s unprovoked attack, Islamabad also downgraded its ties with Tehran, expelled Iran’s ambassador and called back its envoy in Tehran.
Islamabad also announced suspending all high-level visits that were ongoing or were planned between Pakistan and Iran in the coming days.
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani Wednesday told his Irani counterpart that no country should follow its path of launching an attack on a neighbouring nation’s soil against the menace of terrorism unilaterally.
“No country in the region should tread this perilous path,” Jilani told Iran’s FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a telephone call hours after Tehran claimed it had targeted “terrorists” in Pakistan.
China, close partners of Iran and Pakistan, urged restraint, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying both should “avoid actions that would lead to an escalation of tension”.
The United States, meanwhile, condemned the Iranian strikes in Pakistan, Iraq and Syria, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller saying Tehran had violated the “sovereign borders of three of its neighbours in just the past couple of days”.
Iranian FM told: Pakistan reserves right to respond
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, on Wednesday, told his Iranian counterpart that Tehran’s breach of its sovereignty has caused serious damage to bilateral ties and Pakistan “reserved the right to respond to this provocative act”.
Jilani, who is currently leading the Pakistan delegation to the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Kampala, Uganda, received a telephone call from the Foreign Minister of Iran, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Wednesday, said Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch.
She added that the foreign minister firmly underscored that the attack conducted by Iran inside Pakistani territory, on 16 January 2024, was not only a serious breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty but was also an egregious violation of international law and the spirit of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Iran.
Expressing Pakistan’s unreserved condemnation of the attack, the foreign minister added that the incident has caused serious damage to bilateral ties between Pakistan and Iran.
“The Foreign Minister added that Pakistan reserved the right to respond to this provocative act,” Baloch said. Stressing that terrorism was a common threat to the region and required concerted and coordinated efforts to combat this menace, the foreign minister underlined that unilateral actions could seriously undermine regional peace and stability.
“No country in the region should tread this perilous path,” Jilani was further quoted to have told his Iranian counterpart.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan decided to recall its ambassador from Tehran and asked Iran not send its ambassador to Islamabad who is already there on vacations.
Source said that Pakistan Ambassador to Iran Muhammad Mudassir Tipu will be back to Islamabad today (Thursday).
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