Pak warns Iran of consequences

Amid the diplomatic standoff over Iranian airstrike on a terror camp in Balochi-stan, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahain said the air attacks in Pakistan targeted an “Iranian terrorist group” and Tehran government had asked Pakistan several times to take action on the group.

Meanwhile, India it has a complete zero tolerance for terrorism and understands the actions that countries take in their self-defence, said Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in an official statement over the Iranian airstrikes in Pakistan.

He said, “This is a matter between Iran and Pakistan. Insofar as India is concerned, we have an uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We understand actions that countries take in their self defence.”

“The so-called Jaish al-Adl group, which is an Iranian terrorist group, was tar-geted,” Abdollahian said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the World Econom-ic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Terming the Iranian airstrike as an ‘unprovoked’ and ‘blatant’ breach of its sov-ereignty, Pakistan on Wednesday affirmed its right to respond against Iran, and added Tehran would be responsible for further consequences.

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said that Iran violated inter-national law.
“Last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Char-ter of the United Nations,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement.
The statement read further, “This illegal act is completely unacceptable and has no justification whatsoever. Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal act. The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran.”

Pakistan also recalled its ambassador from Tehran and expelled the Iranian en-voy over its response to the attack. The statement said, “We have conveyed this message to the Iranian Govern-ment. We have also informed them that Pakistan has decided to recall its am-bassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan who is cur-rently visiting Iran may not return for the time being. We have also decided to suspend all high-level visits which were ongoing or were planned between Pa-kistan and Iran in coming days.”

Meanwhile, former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was “shocked at the Iranian breach of Pakistani sovereignty,” Geo News reported.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president wrote: “This missile attack is against spirit of our friendship and principles of good neighbourliness, especially as it undermines the historic relationship be-tween our two countries.”

The former premier insisted that conducting sincere dialogue and meaningful cooperation between Iran and Pakistan was the need of the hour. He also of-fered condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the attack.

Earlier, Iran attacked the headquarters of a terrorist group opposed to Tehran with drones and missiles in Pakistan on late hours of Tuesday, Al Arabiya News reported citing Tasnim news agency.

Formed in 2012, Jaish al-Adl, designated as a “terrorist” organisation by Iran, is a Sunni terrorist group that operates in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Al Arabiya News reported.

“The group has taken shelter in some parts of Pakistan’s Balochistan province. This group killed our security forces. We only targeted Iranian terrorist group on the soil of Pakistan,” Abdollahian said in Davos

He emphasised that while Iran respected the sovereignty and territorial integri-ty of Pakistan, it would not “allow the country’s national security to be com-promised or played with”.

“We have no hesitation when it comes to national interests and those terrorist groups inside Pakistan” the Iranian Foreign Minister said.

Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), a Sunni Muslim armed group, has previously launched attacks on Iranian security forces in the border area with Pakistan.

Following Iran’s launch of a barrage of missiles on Pakistan, Islamabad on Wednesday expelled the Iranian ambassador and recalled its ambassador from Tehran, Geo News reported.

“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,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said while ad-dressing a press briefing in Islamabad.

Over the years, Jaish al-Adl has launched numerous attacks on Iranian security forces. In December, Jaish al-Adl took responsibility for an attack on a police station in Sistan-Balochistan that claimed the lives of at least 11 police person-nel, according to Al Arabiya News reported.

Sistan-Balochistan borders Afghanistan and Pakistan. The region has a history of clashes between Iran’s security forces and Sunni terrorists, as well as drug smugglers, Al Arabiya News reported.

Dawn reported 11 Iranian police officers were killed in an attack.

Stand-off

• Jaish al-Adl group, which is an Iranian terrorist group, was targeted: Iran’s Foreign Minister
• Last night’s “unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the UN”: Pak’s Foreign Office