Neighboring Pakistan and Iran on Wednesday pledged to step up “united front” efforts against Afghanistan-based militants, saying their presence poses a serious threat to regional and global security. Ta.
The two countries, which share a long and porous border, announced the commitment in a joint statement issued after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s three-day visit to Islamabad.
Pakistan and Iranian leaders aim to expand trade and ease diplomatic tensions
The visit was aimed at mending relations that were strained in January when both countries carried out airstrikes in each other’s territory targeting insurgents accused of attacking security forces.
The Iranian president met with other officials, including Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and powerful army commander General Asim Munir.
In this photo published by the Press Office, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (left) shakes hands with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif before a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Monday, April 22, 2024. The leaders of Iran and Pakistan have vowed to step up economic and security cooperation during talks on Monday as the two countries seek to resolve diplomatic rifts. (News Department Associated Press)
The joint statement said the two countries “reaffirmed their desire to strengthen cooperation on counterterrorism and security and to develop a united front against terrorism.”
Pakistan has seen a surge in insurgent violence in recent months, largely due to the Afghan-based Pakistani Taliban and insurgents who have also targeted Iranian security forces.
Pakistan often says that the Pakistani Taliban has stepped up attacks since 2021, when the Afghan Taliban took power. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), is a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban.
However, the Afghan Taliban government insists it will not allow the Pakistani Taliban or other insurgents to use Afghan soil to attack other countries. In March, the Pakistan Air Force targeted multiple suspected Pakistani Taliban hideouts in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban said eight people were killed in the attack, which resulted in Taliban counterattacks.
The Iranian government also blamed the Afghanistan-based Islamic State affiliate for recent attacks on Iran. The affiliate also operates in Baluchistan province in southwestern Pakistan, which borders Iran.
In recent years, Pakistan has urged the Iranian government to take tough action against Pakistani rebels living near its borders inside Iran. They often target security forces in Baluchistan province, which has been the scene of a low-level separatist insurgency for more than two decades.
Pakistan and Iran also agreed that their common border should be a “border of peace and friendship” and that political, military, and He reiterated the importance of regular cooperation between security authorities. Money laundering.
The two countries also agreed to expand trade and economic cooperation and pledged to establish new border markets, new border crossings and economic free trade zones.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Both countries also condemned an apparent Israeli attack on a consulate adjacent to the Iranian embassy in Syria on April 1 that killed two people, including a Guards general. Iran responded with an unprecedented direct attack on Israel.
Officials said Pakistan and Iran also held talks about how to proceed with a gas pipeline project that has been put on hold primarily due to concerns about U.S. sanctions. The project, opposed by the US government as violating sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program, was launched in 2013 to supply Iranian natural gas to energy-hungry Pakistan.
