ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged Iran to take ‘visible actions’ against Baloch terrorists organisations and their camps on its side of the Pak-Iran border who have claimed responsibility for killing 14 personnel of Pakistan armed forces recently, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.
Speaking at a news conference, Qureshi said that Pakistan has ‘specific forensic evidence’ that could also be shared with Iran that to Baloch terrorist organisations based on Iran side of the border were behind the April 18 terror incident in which 14 personnel of the armed forces were gun downed –10 personnel of Pakistan navy, three from Pakistan air force and one from coastal guard.
Qureshi said that ‘BRAS’, which is the alliance of three Baloch terrorist organisations, have claimed responsibility for this terrorist act.
“We hope that Iran, which is our friendly neighbours, and our Iranian brothers to take visible actions against these Baloch terrorist groups in the similar passion Pakistan took actions and recovered nine of the 12 abducted Iranian border guards recently”, the Foreign Minister said.
The statement comes a day ahead Prime Minister Imran Khan is embarking on a two-day official visit to Iran and according to Qureshi, the Prime Minister will also take up the matter at top Iranian level during his visit.
The Foreign Minister further said that he had also spoke with his Iranian counterpart Jawad Zarif earlier in the day and conveyed to him the sentiments and anger of Pakistani nation over the killing of 14 personnel of the armed forces and urged the Iranian side to take action against those anti-Pakistan elements responsible for the attack.
He said that the Iranian foreign minister assured him that Iran not only condemns the terrorist act but also consider it an attack against Iran. “He [Zarif] also assured me that Iran will trace these elements and help Pakistan in giving exemplary punishment to these elements”, Qureshi further said.
He also urged Afghanistan to take action against Baloch terror organisations taking shelters on its soil in the same passion Pakistan is supporting and facilitating the Afghan peace process.
To a question, he said that a number of steps are being taken to secure the border, adding that fencing the border with Iran has also been started, besides establishing joint border centers.
Earlier, the Foreign Office through a letter to Embassy of Iran in Islamabad, urged the Iranian mission to urgently convey Pakistan’s concern the relevant Iranian authorities for a prompt action against these terrorists who had come from Iranian side of the border.
“15-20 terrorists who camouflaged themselves in Frontier Corps (FC) uniform barricaded the road and stopped 3-4 buses traveling from Ormara to Gwadar on the coastal highway at Buzi Top in the dawn of April 18 and on the identification of the passengers, shot dead 14 personnel belonging to the armed forces of Pakistan. BRAS which is the alliance of three Baloch terrorist organisations have claimed responsibility for this terrorist act”, the letter reads.
“After the incident, the terrorists who arrived from border region returned to that area,” it added.
The letter further stated that Pakistan has repeatedly shared intelligence about these activities. “The information about the hubs of these Baloch terrorist organisations in Iran, having training camps and logistics bases across the border, was shared with Iranian intelligence in the recent past, and on a number of occasions earlier,” the letter reads.
“Unfortunately, no action has been taken by Iran in this regard, to date,” the letter further reads.
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