On Friday, Pakistan extended an olive branch to Iran to address “all issues” after both nations conducted air strikes across their borders, targeting terrorist elements. The commitment to dialogue was made during a telephonic conversation between caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, as per a statement from the Foreign Office.
Iran initiated a missile and drone attack on what it deemed as “terrorist” targets in Pakistan on Tuesday night, prompting Pakistan to respond with strikes against militant targets inside Iran on Thursday. Following these incidents, Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Tehran and expelled Iran’s envoy, who was on a visit to his home country. The international community, including the United Nations and the United States, has called for restraint, and China has offered to mediate.
In the statement, FM Jilani expressed Pakistan’s willingness to collaborate with Iran on all matters, emphasizing the importance of mutual trust and cooperation. He highlighted the need for enhanced cooperation on security issues during his second telephonic conversation with Abdollahian in three days.
Pakistan clarified its stance to the global community, asserting that it does not seek to escalate tensions further and urging Tehran to respect Islamabad’s territorial sovereignty. In a separate conversation with Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan, FM Jilani stated that Operation ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’ targeted terrorist camps within Iran, emphasizing Pakistan’s lack of interest or desire for further escalation.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar curtailed his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in the aftermath of the strikes. The prime minister has convened a meeting of the National Security Committee scheduled to take place today, as confirmed by an official from the PM’s Office. Islamabad specified that its targets included bases of the outlawed Baloch Liberation Front and Baloch Liberation Army, while Tehran asserted that its drones and missiles targeted militants affiliated with the Jaish al Adl group.
