Iranian FM to visit Pakistan after Tehran-Islamabad tensions
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The announcement of Amir-Abdollahian's visit and the simultaneous return of ambassadors follows a period of heightened tensions between the two neighboring countries.
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A Pakistani flag flies on a lookout in Islamabad, Pakistan, on July 27, 2022 (AP)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is set to go on an official visit to Pakistan next week. The announcement came through a joint statement issued by the Iranian foreign minister and his Pakistani counterpart, Jalil Abbas Jilani, following a constructive phone conversation on Monday.
At the invitation of the Pakistani foreign minister, Amir-Abdollahian is scheduled to travel to Pakistan on January 29, 2024, as stated in the official release.
Notably, the two diplomats also reached a consensus on the return of ambassadors to their respective posts by January 26, indicating a concerted effort to normalize diplomatic relations.
The announcement of Amir-Abdollahian's visit and the simultaneous return of ambassadors follows a period of heightened tensions between the two neighboring countries.
The escalation started when the IRGC initiated counter-terrorism ballistic operations targeting Jaish al-Adl terrorists in insurgent-run territories of Pakistan's Balochistan province. The IRGC executed simultaneous drone and missile attacks on two bases of Jaish al-Adl, a terror group formed in 2012, responsible for multiple attacks on Iranian soil in recent years.
Despite categorizing Jaish al-Adl as insurgent terrorists, Pakistan consequently conducted strikes, in response, against what it claimed were bases of anti-Pakistan militants in the border area of Iran's Sistan and Balochistan province.
The diplomatic relations between the two nations were strained, with Tehran condemning Pakistan's strikes as unacceptable and unbalanced.
Read more: Details of Iran's IRGC attack on terrorists in Pakistan revealed
However, the upcoming official visit by Amir-Abdollahian suggests a commitment to diplomatic dialogue and resolution. The joint statement reflects a mutual understanding to restore normalcy in diplomatic ties, fostering cooperation between Iran and Pakistan.
The visit holds the promise of not only diffusing recent tensions but also paving the way for strengthened bilateral relations in the future.
Terrorist Jaish al-Adl group backed by US: ex-Pakistani minister
In an interview with Mehr News agency, the former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan pointed out that Jaish al-Adl was a US-backed terrorist group.
"Pakistan and Iran enjoy deep diplomatic ties, and the relations are not at a normal level," Ahmad Khan was quoted as saying, noting that the differences between the two countries are not fundamental but rather stem from strategic issues due to their geopolitical positions.
Read more: Iran, Pakistan denounce recent Israeli provocations in Palestine
Who is Jaish al-Adl
The group, whose name literally translates to the "Army of Justice", is a Salafist separatist militant group founded in 2012, operating in the mountainous border region between Iran and Pakistan. The group alongside other terrorist groups in the region strives for an independent Balochi ethnostate in the Iranian Sistan and Baluchestan.
Jaish al-Adl has claimed a series of violent attacks killing and kidnapping members of Iran's border police in the past. In December, they killed 11 people and wounded eight others in a hit-and-run terrorist operation against a police station in southeastern Iran. In 2019, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing targeting a bus that killed 27 members of Iran’s Islamic Revolution's Guard Corps.
In a report on the terrorist group, The Indian Express website theorizes that Pakistan had been allowing these terrorist separatist groups to operate at the behest of Iran's former rival Saudi Arabia: with whom tensions had only relaxed back in March 2023 after the Chinese-mediated rapprochement agreement.
