Tehran Holds Islamabad Responsible for Border Guard's Death
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iran’s ministry of foreign affairs said the onus is on the Pakistani government to give an explanation for the death of an Iranian border guard kidnapped by terrorists, and added that lack of serious measures by Islamabad would contradict friendly ties with Tehran.
Speaking On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham expressed deep regret at the death of one of the five border guards kidnapped by a terrorist group in Pakistan, noting that Islamabad should be held accountable for the grave incident.
Her comment came after the so-called Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group on Monday killed Jamshid Danaeifar, one of the five Iranian soldiers it had kidnapped on February 6.
Elsewhere in her remarks, Afkham called on Pakistan to take “serious and prompt” action to arrest those terrorists and guarantee the release of the Iranian soldiers.
She said lack of seriousness in Pakistan’s reaction against the moves that damage friendly and brotherly relations between Tehran and Islamabad will “be in contradiction to the good neighborliness”.
“Iranian officials have repeatedly expressed their dissatisfaction with and concern about acts of terror in border areas and the Islamic Republic of Iran has stressed the need for the necessary measure by Pakistan to prevent terrorists from crossing and using the Pakistani territory,” she added.
The five Iranian border guards were kidnapped in Jakigour region in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan on February 6 and taken to Pakistan.
The so-called Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the abductions.
Iran’s Deputy Interior Minister for Security and Law Enforcement Affairs Ali Abdollahi had earlier regretted that Islamabad has failed to fully control its borders with Iran, stressing that the Pakistani government has commitments based on the joint security agreement signed by the two countries and should fulfill those commitments.
In February 2013, Tehran and Islamabad signed a security agreement which requires both sides to take strict measures to combat terrorism and human and drug trafficking.