Pakistan recalls ambassador from Iran, expels Iranian envoy after air strike

Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani received on Wednesday a telephone call from the Foreign Minister of Iran, Hossein Amir Abdollahian. The development comes after Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Iran and expelled the Iranian envoy in response to what it termed unprovoked violation of Pakistani airspace by Iran.

As per the latest statement from the ministry, Jilani firmly underscored that the attack conducted by Iran inside Pakistani territory, on January 16, 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.”

Jilani is currently leading the Pakistan delegation to the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Kampala, Uganda.

“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……..Pakistan reserved the right to respond to this provocative act,” the FO statement read.

The minister stressed that terrorism was a common threat to the region and required concerted and coordinated efforts to combat this menace. He underlined that unilateral actions could undermine regional peace and stability.

“No country in the region should tread this perilous path,” the FO statement quoted Jilani as saying.

The development comes after Pakistan decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and expel the Iranian envoy in response to Iranian air strikes within the Pakistani territory.

“This illegal act is completely unacceptable and has no justification whatsoever,” said the foreign office in a statement earlier on Wednesday.

“Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal act. The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran.

“We have conveyed this message to the Iranian government. We have also informed them that Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan who is currently visiting Iran may not return for the time being,” it added.

“We have also decided to suspend all high-level visits which were ongoing or were planned between Pakistan and Iran in coming days.”

Iran says it targeted ‘Iranian terrorist group’ in Pakistan

The FO office also termed Iran’s missile strike on Pakistani territory “a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.”

Islamabad’s reaction comes after it was reported on Tuesday that “two bases of Jaish al Adl in Pakistan were targeted by missiles”, according to Iranian state media, a day after Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards attacked targets in Iraq and Syria with missiles.

The strikes took place in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan, according to reports.

“These bases were hit and destroyed by missiles and drones,” Iranian state media reported, without elaborating.

The Iranian strikes add to multiple crises across the Middle East, with Israel’s aggression in Gaza and pro-Palestinian Houthis in Yemen attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

Hours before the strike, Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar had met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.