![Pakistani police gather August 8 at the Sindh Counter Terrorism Department office in Karachi. [Zarak Khan/Pakistan Forward]](/cnmi_st/images/2023/08/17/43551-pf-iran-karachi-739_416.webp)
ISLAMABAD -- Amid a surge in cross-border attacks, Islamabad has again pressured Tehran to halt its support for Pakistani insurgent groups taking refuge on Iranian soil.
The issue took center stage during recent meetings of high-ranking officials from both nations, Pakistani officials said.
During a visit to Islamabad August 3, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with his Pakistani counterpart, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Two weeks earlier, Pakistani chief of army staff Gen. Syed Asim Munir visited Tehran, where he met with top Iranian officials, including Iranian armed forces chief of staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri.
Munir and Bagheri "agreed that terrorism was a common threat to the region in general and both countries in particular", Pakistan's military said in a July 16 statement following the meeting.
"They vowed to eradicate the menace of terrorism in the border areas through intelligence sharing and effective actions against the terrorists' networks, and explore avenues for enhancing cooperation in the security domain," it said.
During his two-day visit, Munir also discussed with Amir-Abdollahian and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi the importance of Pakistani-Iranian relations for regional peace and stability.
Rise in cross-border attacks
Despite the display of cordiality, security and foreign ministry officials privy to the meeting said the relationship between the two nations recently has become strained.
This deterioration stems particularly from escalating attacks on Pakistani security personnel and border posts in Balochistan province orchestrated by Pakistani militants finding refuge in Iran.
Militants attacked a Pakistani security post in the Singwan area along the Iranian border, Pakistan's military said June 1, referring to a shootout in which two soldiers were killed.
Pakistan's military said in a statement April 1 that four of its soldiers in Kech district, Balochistan, near the border with Iran, had been killed by a "group of terrorists".
The military said it had informed Iran of the attack, in hopes of preventing such incidents in the future.
After a similar ambush in January that killed four Pakistani soldiers in Kech, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on Iran to prevent its territory from being used for "cross-border attacks".
Attacks staged from Iranian soil
In addition to the surge in cross-border violence, Pakistani insurgent groups -- particularly the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), led by individuals hiding inside Iran -- have escalated their assaults.
They have targeted Balochistan province and the port city of Karachi.
"The BLA and BLF are beneficiaries of Iran's lenient attitude towards them," the Jamestown Foundation said in a March 2022 report.
This is because Iranian security forces "have given protection and refuge to them and other Baloch rebel groups", the Washington-based think-tank said.
The Pakistani groups have used this protection to attack Jaish al-Adl, an Iranian militant group that opposes Tehran for its alleged oppression of the Baloch ethnic community in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran, it added.
On Tuesday (August 8), the BLF claimed an attack the day before that killed a paramilitary Pakistan Ranger in the Lyari neighborhood of Karachi.
In June, the BLA claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing using a female assassin who targeted security forces in Turbat district, Balochistan.
In March, Counter Terrorism Department officials in Balochistan said officers arrested a would-be female suicide bomber affiliated with the BLF.
"Tehran presents itself as an ally to Pakistan, but its actions of providing refuge to the BLA and BLF within its territory continue to erode Pakistan's security," said Islamabad-based security analyst Zameer Qureshi.
In his recent visit to Tehran, the Pakistani chief of army staff clearly asked the Iranian regime to stop enabling Pakistani militant groups to take sanctuary in Iran, and to enhance border security measures, Qureshi noted.
The Sunday Guardian newspaper of India in a report accused that Pakistan is creating a border conflict with the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan in order to keep the Taliban involved in the war and send ISIS militants to Afghanistan. In an article of this newspaper, the recent conflicts between Pakistan and the Taliban are mentioned. Zabihullah Mujahed, the spokesman of the Taliban regime, without denying or confirming this report and previous statements, says that their forces have the ability to protect the borders of Afghanistan and ISIS cannot pose a threat for them. Also, he emphasizes that supporting ISIS is not in the interest of any country. Previously, Zalmai Khalilzad, the former US representative for Afghanistan's affairs, and some media also said that the Taliban regime consider Pakistan as responsible for sending ISIS members to Afghanistan.
Reply9 Comment
Pakistan: Collapse without a war The countries are artificially created for political purposes, and their age continues as long as the political necessity is felt. Pakistan was created as a country that cannot achieve the constructive elements of nation-building, state-building, and country-building. This country has acquired its culture from India, its religion from Arabs, and most of its land from Afghanistan. It has no history, no nation, and no economy. Almost all of the neighbors are stronger than it in every way. India also has a history, a nation, and a state; currently, it is the fifth economic power in the world. Its military budget is almost (ten times) more than Pakistan's. China is the world's second military and economic power. China also has a history, a nation, and a state. Iran is a civilized country in the world. It has history, religion, and government. It is among the top 20 countries in the world economically and militarily. Afghanistan has history, culture, nation, prestige, and honor. It has its sweet water and precious mines, but currently, it does not have a civilized state. War has affected its economy, but its currency value is four times higher than that of Pakistan. Pakistan has no history, no nation, and no strong faith. It only has the army and the state. The government protects the army, and the army protects the government.
Reply9 Comment
As a country, these two elements of Pakistan's survival (army and government) can no longer maintain the old organic relationship. Now, this balance is in jeopardy. The treasury of the state is empty. This treasury is no longer sufficient to feed its army, and the army can no longer maintain a useless state without treasures or can maintain it. If it maintains it, then with what strength and price does it maintain it? Until now, Pakistan was fed by religious factories. It produced soldiers and money in these factories. Now, those products do not have much market. The issue of Kashmir is almost under the control of India. Arabs and non-Arabs don't provide money for Afghan Jihad so that Pakistan may take its commission. America can no longer play the role of regional gendarme and broker. America and the Western world value India 20 times more than Pakistan. America prefers India over China. Due to its close relations with China, Pakistan is facing political and economic isolation from the point of view of the Western world. Pakistan has lost its credibility in the international economic market so much that no one trusts it to pay the loan even if it is profitable. However, the level of India's annual economic relations with the outside world is higher than the level of all domestic annual incomes of Pakistan. In 2022, Pakistan's domestic gross national income and annual money circulation were (376.53) billion dollars, but this amount of India reached (3383.09) billion dollars. L
Reply9 Comment
According to some figures, Pakistan owes about (124.3) billion dollars so far, which it must repay with at least (10) billion in interest annually. International economic websites say that now every Pakistani citizen owes (1127) American dollars. On the other hand, China, India, and Iran are not only not in debt, but the rest of the world is indebted to them. Our beautiful Afghanistan is also much better than Pakistan. War has impacted its way of life, and there is poverty, but it is not owed to anyone. We still have $9 billion in cash that is frozen around the world. Pakistan could not provide fuel for its existing aircraft this year, but India announced the purchase of (500) new aircraft. While Pakistan's economy is declining, according to forecasts, India's economy will witness (6.7) percent growth at the end of this year. While Pakistan is eyeing the territory of Afghanistan, India is taking strides towards the moon in space and appears to be approaching the sun's edges. Despite the many sanctions on Afghanistan, Afghan airlines (Ariana and Kam Air) have earned nearly (60) million dollars in profit. In addition to the main project of Qushtepe, some other important projects are also in progress. While Afghani has maintained its stability in the past years, the Pakistani currency has reached the lowest level in its history. Pakistani currency has reached its worst inflation in two years, where the banknote is reduced to the size of a normal paper and loses its credibility. B
Reply9 Comment
This situation has occurred in very few countries of the world. In any country that faces such a situation, the collective trust of the people in its currency will be lost, social and economic instability will occur, and social instability will lead to the collapse of governments. Pakistan has also reached such a critical point. Pakistan is now facing an economic crisis, social discontent, instability, and mistrust. In the past, no one could speak anything negative about the army in private, but now people openly call the army a terrorist. So if this situation continues for some time and if Arabs and non-Arabs do not send some cash gifts and loans, then there is a possibility that Pakistan will face the danger of collapse as a state and a country. In addition to the economic crisis, Pakistan is also facing a water crisis. Political instability has also reached its peak. The heir and owner of the country are also not known. No one thinks about the inheritance and ownership of the country. There is a vacuum of political leadership. It is noticeable in it. If there was a national and progressive government in Afghanistan at this time, which could have good relations with the world, had controlled its waters like India, had paid attention to the strengthening of its economy and scientific developments, and, in the opinion of the late Musa Shafiq, had paid more attention to his economy than anything else, it was more likely that we would have defeated Pakistan in an economic war wi
Reply9 Comment
I welcome this decision of the Danish government and wish Denmark's people a good life. May God make all people of the world respect each other. I want all people to respect each other's religion and belief. If this happens, I believe that wars in the world will be reduced by more than 50%. Humans will live happily ever after. Denmark's Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard told reporters the government is proposing a law that would "prohibit inappropriate treatment of religious sanctities." He said that this law's purpose is to prevent the burning and desecration of holy books in public places. Hummelgaard said burning the Quran was a "blasphemous and cruel act" that "hurts Denmark and Danish interests." Chapter 12 of the Danish Penal Code will include the new law, which covers national security. Hummelgaard said the "motivation" for banning Quran burning was threats to national security. "We cannot sit idly by while some people do whatever it takes to inflame people's emotions and violent reactions," he said. According to this law, insulting the Bible, the Torah, the cross, and other sacred religious books and signs will also be prohibited. Violators of this law face fines and two years in prison.
Reply9 Comment
This is a new topic that Iran has sheltered Pakistani fighters on its territory. These two Islamic countries supported the groups involved in the war in Afghanistan to turn Afghanistan into a ruin. The goal of these two countries against Afghanistan was to destroy Afghanistan in any way possible. Now these two countries are involved in a cold war. If these two countries engage in war, maybe the war in Afghanistan will end. The war in Afghanistan has always been fueled by these two countries; Iran and Pakistan, and they have supported a group of fighters inside Afghanistan and provided war equipment to the groups that destabilized Afghanistan. We ask Almighty God to make any country that wants fighting in Afghanistan to get involved in fighting itself. These two countries ruined Afghanistan. May God the Almighty make the situation of these two countries worse than ours. The well maker is always in the well.
Reply9 Comment
I have already said that both Iran and Pakistan are nests for strengthening and supporting terrorism in the world. This is a good game going on now, as Iran strengthens the terrorist groups against Pakistan, and Pakistan does the same thing against Iran, and they push for suicide attacks and explosions. Due to these two countries, we did not see a good day for four decades. I just wish these two countries get destroyed the way Ukraine was destroyed.
Reply9 Comment
When I read or hear the name Pakistan, I think of terrorists and terrorism. The reason is that since the establishment of this country, Afghanistan, Kashmir, India, Iran, and even the fish of the Indian Ocean have been spending their days and nights in trouble due to the terrorist activities of Pakistan's army and intelligence. This evil army and ISI have killed millions of Afghans in Afghanistan during the past 45 years and killed them in such a way that Afghans killed them themselves. Most Afghan armed groups that have been active against the central government of Afghanistan for the past four decades have been trained and supported by Pakistan and some of them by Iran. Pakistan is behind every terrorist activity in India. If there is a terrorist attack in America, Pakistan or Pakistanis are behind it. I wonder why the world community is not partitioning this evil country in its composite components, Pashtunistan, Baluchistan, Sindh, and Punjab, so that Afghanistan, India, Iran, and other peace-loving countries of the world can be freed from its evil?
Reply9 Comment