Iran has right to self-defense against 'Israel', Pakistan says
3 Min Read
Pakistan's defense minister voices concerns over a possible spillover of the tensions in the region to other nations like Pakistan and warned that nations supporting "Israel" could be caught in the middle.
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Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif speaks to journalists outside the Supreme Court, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. (AP)
Pakistani defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif condemned Tuesday the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, calling it a breach of its sovereignty, and continued to declare that Iran's attacks on "Israel" were defensive and in proportion.
Iran, he said during the Geo News' Capital Talk show, has the right to retaliate given the fact that "Israel" deliberately violated international law in its attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which Asif said "Israel" targeted because of Iran's unwavering support for Palestine. He continued to express his country's support for Gaza.
He voiced concerns over a possible spillover of the tensions in the region to other nations like Pakistan and warned that nations supporting "Israel" could be caught in the middle.
“We do not want tensions to increase. However, genocide of Palestinians must be stopped,” Asif said, stressing that the Palestinian sacrifices would not be in vain and that independence and liberation were near.
Pakistan, he asserted, is not under any form of pressure to recognize "Israel" as a state.
Read more: US says Israeli attack on Iran after retaliatory strikes to be limited
Fending off the Western pressure
The Karachi Press Club in Pakistan witnessed crowds of people celebrating Iran’s response on Sunday as speakers praised Iran for being “the only Islamic country” to fight "Israel" directly over the past 50 years.
“We pay tribute to the government and leadership of Iran for their courageous action and congratulate them on their successful countermeasures against the murderous usurper Zionist” regime, they said.
During a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari last week, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stated that the development of bilateral ties between the two nations was being sabotaged by colonial powers.
While congratulating Zardari for winning a second term as Pakistan’s president, Raisi said, "The development of Iran-Pakistan relations is not agreeable to colonial powers, and they are seeking to drive a wedge between the two Muslim countries."
He continued that the joint fight against terrorism must be reinforced, and stressed that enemies should not be given the door to apply their agendas, as he described the Israeli genocide in Gaza as "great sadness" for Muslim nations, and called on independent nations to exert pressure against "Israel".
Meanwhile, Zardari congratulated Iran and its people on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr and condemned the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian Embassy in Damascus.
Read next: Pakistan passes decision to begin works on gas pipeline with Iran
