Tehran: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday hailed Iran and Pakistan as partners in maintaining regional peace and stability during a meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Pakistan and Iran agreed in August that peace and prosperity in their border regions hinged on effectively combating terrorism. The nearly 900-kilometre border between the two countries has long faced security threats from proscribed groups, such as Jaish al-Adl and the Balochistan Liberation Army. Pakistan and Iran share close ties but persistent issues, including terrorism, smuggling, and mutual accusations of harbouring militants, have periodically strained relations. The interior minister is currently on a visit to Iran at a time of sustained tension with two of Pakistan's neighbours, Iran and Afghanistan.
A press release issued said he met President Pezeshkian, with the two discussing bilateral cooperation. 'Iran and Pakistan are partners in regional peace and stability,' the press release quoted Naqvi as saying, adding that he conveyed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's 'message of goodwill' to President Pezeshkian.
The interior minister also briefed the Iranian president on matters related to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with Pezeshkian offering to play a 'fraternal role' in easing the tensions between the two countries.
President Pezeshkian said Iran attached 'special importance' to its relations with Pakistan and it could not forget the 'immense support' from Islamabad.
Expressing satisfaction over bilateral relations, the Iranian president stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between the two countries to take advantage of vast opportunities. Islamabad and Tehran's renewed commitment to maintaining regional peace comes at a time when Pakistan is witnessing a deterioration in ties with Afghanistan, with recent border skirmishes, counter-statements and allegations.
The hostilities began earlier this month when an attack was launched on Pakistan from Afghanistan on the night of October 11. The attack had followed an allegation from the Taliban of airstrikes by Pakistan into Afghanistan - an accusation which Islamabad has neither confirmed nor denied. For its part, Islamabad has long demanded that the Taliban stop terror groups from using its soil against Pakistan. Taliban, however, deny the allegation of allowing terrorists to operate from Afghan soil.
Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to grapple with the issue of terrorism and has suffered multiple casualties among security forces in intelligence-based operations. After the initial skirmish on Oct 11, multiple others took place along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Meanwhile, strikes by Islamabad also targeted Gul Bahadur group camps in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Mohsin Naqvi met separately with the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Ardeshir Larijani, and his Iranian counterpart, Eskandar Momeni. Upon his arrival at the office of the Supreme National Security Council, Secretary Larijani warmly welcomed Mohsin Naqvi.
½½During the meeting, the two sides held detailed discussions on strengthening Pakistan-Iran relations and security cooperation. They exchanged views on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, and border management and emphasized the importance of enhancing joint mechanisms for collaboration.
½Mohsin Naqvi said Pakistan wishes to expand cooperation with Iran in the fields of security and counter-narcotics. Secretary Larijani termed the positive progress in bilateral ties as a welcome development.
½In a separate meeting between the Interior Ministers of Pakistan and Iran, both sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation on internal security matters. Mohsin Naqvi congratulated his Iranian counterpart on successfully hosting the ECO Ministerial Conference, stating that it would have far-reaching outcomes for member countries. He added that Pakistan seeks to benefit from mutual experiences in the field of internal security.
½Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi invited the Iranian Interior Minister to visit Pakistan, to which Minister Momeni responded that he would soon visit Islamabad to meet his brother. He also expressed gratitude to his Pakistani counterpart for attending the ECO Ministerial Conference.
½Federal Secretary Interior Khurram Agha, Pakistan's Ambassador to Iran Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, senior officials from Iran's Interior Ministry, and diplomatic officers were also present on the occasion.