Imran Khan Calls for Closer Iran-Pakistan Cooperation against Terrorism
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan highlighted the importance of joint efforts with Iran to combat terrorism and said militants should not be allowed to use the two countries’ territories to conduct terrorist acts.
If the issue of terrorism had not existed, disagreements would not have arisen between the two countries, Imran Khan said at a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on Monday, apparently referring to disputes over recent terrorist attacks mounted from Pakistani soil against Iranian border guards.
Militants should not be allowed to use the two countries’ soils for terrorist activities, the Pakistani premier added.
He further said that the Islamic Republic of Iran, like Pakistan, has suffered from terrorism and bloodshed for many years, adding that Tehran and Islamabad need more cooperation to deal with terrorist and violent acts.
In his first official visit to Iran after taking office in August 2018, Imran Khan arrived in Iran on Sunday for talks on a host of issues, including ways to counter terrorist groups.
The trip comes as some Iranian officials have recently criticized Pakistan for providing shelter for the terrorists attacking the Iranian border guards.
In the latest of such attacks, on February 13 when a number of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) forces were traveling between the cities of Zahedan and Khash, in southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan, their bus was hit by a suicide car bomb attack.
The IRGC’s Quds Base said in a statement that an explosives-laden car rammed into the bus, which was taking the personnel back to their homes. The attack killed 27 IRGC members and injured 13 others.
The so-called Jaish ul-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.