Pakistan on Friday offered Iran an olive branch to work on “all issues” following airstrikes against terrorists inside each other’s borders.
According to a statement from the Foreign Office, the decision was made during interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani’s phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Pakistan struck militant targets inside Iran on Thursday after Iran launched a missile and drone attack on what it described as “terrorist” targets in Pakistan on Tuesday night.
Recalling its ambassador from Tehran, Pakistan announced that Iran’s envoy, who was visiting his home country, had been expelled.
China has offered to mediate, while the United States and the United Nations have called for moderation.
According to a statement from the Foreign Office, FM Jilani stated that Pakistan is willing to collaborate with Iran on any matter as long as there is an atmosphere of mutual confidence and trust.In his second phone discussion with Abdollahian in three days, Jilani “understood the need for closer cooperation on security issues,” according to the statement.
Pakistan has also called on Tehran to guarantee that it respects Islamabad’s territorial sovereignty, letting the rest of the world know that it has no intention of making matters worse.
During a separate phone call with Turkiye Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, FM Jilani stated that Operation “Marg Bar Sarmachar” was directed towards terrorist camps located in Iran and Pakistan, and he had no intention of taking the situation further.
In response to the strikes, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the acting prime minister, also canceled his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
According to a PM’s Office official, the prime minister has called a meeting of the National Security Committee for today.
While Tehran claims its drones and missiles hit militants from the Jaish al Adl group, Islamabad claimed to have hit camps of the banned Baloch Liberation Front and Baloch Liberation Army.
