Pakistan, Iran agree on fighting terrorists

Underscoring important brotherly countries like Iran’s help in the current standoff with India, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday briefed Iranian President Dr. Hassan Rouhani about the latest situation with regard to Indian aggression and Pakistan's untiring efforts to defuse the situation through dialogue and improve relations with India.

According to wire reports, Prime Minister Khan told Rouhani that he would soon have “good news” for Iran. His remarks came after the Iranian president urged him to take a “decisive” action against a militant group that claimed a deadly suicide attack in a border area. A suicide bomber killed 27 members of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards in mid-February. Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice) militant group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Stating that Iran knew exactly where the terrorist groups that use the Pakistani soil to carry out terrorist attacks on the Iranian nation were located, Rouhani said, “We are awaiting your strong action against these terrorists.” “We should not allow decades of friendship and fraternity between the two countries to be affected by the actions of small terrorist groups, the source of whose financing and arms is known to both of us,” Rouhani said. The Iranian president said Pakistan and Iran are neighbours and brotherly countries linked through centuries of closed historic cultural and people to people linkages and their role would remain central in promoting peace, stability and economic development in this important region.

Imran said, “It is in Pakistan’s own interest not to allow our territory to be used by terrorist groups, and the Pakistan Army is prepared to confront terrorists more decisively with the information provided by Iran.” He said the Pakistani forces had come close to the terrorists’ hideout and there would soon be “good news” for Iran, IRNA reported. According to Prime Minister Office (PMO), both leaders reiterated the importance of strengthening bilateral relations. Rouhani looked forward to the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Iran in the near future. Both agreed that the visit would help deepen bilateral coordination and cooperation.

Both leaders agreed on the need for a closer cooperation between the two intelligence agencies to combat terrorism. Imran also briefed Rouhani about the latest situation vis a vis India, and Pakistan's untiring efforts to defuse the situation through dialogue and improve ties with India. The prime minister thanked the Iranian leadership for their consistent and principled support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Foreign Office later said both leaders reiterated the importance of strengthening bilateral relations. According to the statement, Prime Minister Khan expressed his heartfelt condolences on the deadly terrorist attack. “Both leaders agreed on the need for closer cooperation between the two intelligence agencies to combat terrorism.”