In the aftermath of recent unprecedented missile exchanges and the tragic killing of nine Pakistani laborers in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province, Pakistan and Iran announced on Monday their agreement to operationalise a mechanism deploying military liaison officers in each other’s country to bolster coordination and efficiency in responding to common threats.
The decision was reached during a meeting between Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, and Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Syed Asim Munir, at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, as stated by the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The tensions erupted following Iran’s missile strikes on January 16, targeting alleged hideouts of Jaish-al-Adl, a militant group implicated in numerous attacks on Iranian security forces. Pakistan responded two days later, hitting what it claimed were terrorist bases of Baloch militant outfits. Iran later acknowledged that those killed in the Pakistani strikes were not Iranian nationals.
Diplomatic efforts have been swift to de-escalate the situation, with the ambassadors of both countries returning to their respective capitals in the week leading up to the Iranian foreign minister’s visit.
In today’s meeting, recognising the deep historical, religious, and cultural ties binding the two nations, both sides stressed the need to strengthen bilateral relations and foster a better understanding of each other’s concerns.
General Munir emphasised the importance of respecting each state’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, describing it as “sacrosanct, inviolable, and the most important cardinal of state-to-state relationships.”
According to the ISPR, the two countries acknowledged terrorism as a common threat requiring collaborative efforts, enhanced coordination, and intelligence sharing. General Munir highlighted the importance of sustained engagement and using available communication channels to address security concerns.
The decision to operationalise the deployment of military liaison officers in each other’s countries at an early date was part of the joint effort to improve coordination and response efficiency against shared threats.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to closely engage with each other, preventing any attempts by spoilers to create divisions between the fraternal nations. “Pakistan and Iran are fraternal neighbours, and the destinies of both nations are intertwined,” the statement said.
The commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in the border region was emphasised as crucial for the well-being of people on both sides.
‘Third countries behind militants’
Earlier in the day, during a joint press conference in Islamabad with interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, Abdollahian asserted that there was “no doubt” that militants positioned in the border regions of both Pakistan and Iran were “led and supported by third countries”.
“There is no doubt that the terrorists located in the common border regions and areas of Iran and Pakistan are led and supported by third countries and they never favour any good action in line with the benefits of the Iranian and Pakistani governments and nations,” he asserted.
Islamabad’s top diplomat, Jilani, said the two sides have also agreed to “establish a high-level constructive mechanism at the level of foreign ministers of the two countries”.
Elaborating further, Jilani said the mechanism will meet alternatively in both Iran and Pakistan “on a regular basis to oversee the progress that is being made in various areas of cooperation”.
He further said that both Islamabad and Tehran have agreed to “cooperate to fight terrorism in our respective areas”. “We have agreed to station liaison officers of which an agreement was already in place at the earliest date,” said the foreign minister, adding that they would be stationed in Turbat and Zahedan.
