Security

Pakistan-Iran joint border force to combat terrorism is 'contradictory,' say observers

Pakistan Forward and AFP

Iranian men February 16 in Isfahan hold portraits of their relatives, members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who were killed in a February 13 suicide bombing in that city. The IRGC accused "Pakistan's security forces" of supporting the perpetrators of the bombing, in remarks aired by state TV. [Atta Kenare/AFP]

Iranian men February 16 in Isfahan hold portraits of their relatives, members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who were killed in a February 13 suicide bombing in that city. The IRGC accused "Pakistan's security forces" of supporting the perpetrators of the bombing, in remarks aired by state TV. [Atta Kenare/AFP]

TEHRAN -- A recent agreement by Pakistan and Iran to form a joint border reaction force is "contradictory" because of Iran's role in sponsoring terrorism, say observers.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani April 22 announced that he and visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan agreed to set up the border force.

"We agreed to create a joint rapid reaction force at the borders for combatting terrorism," Rouhani told a joint news conference, following months of increased tensions over attacks on both sides of the two countries' frontier.

"The security chief will sit down with his counterpart here and discuss [security] co-operation," Khan said. No other details were given on the joint force.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (centre) meets with Iranian President President Hassan Rouhani (left) and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran April 22. [PTI]

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (centre) meets with Iranian President President Hassan Rouhani (left) and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran April 22. [PTI]

"We trust that both countries will not have terrorist activities from their soil ... We will not allow any damage to your country from our soil," Khan said.

Khan's visit to Iran, the first since he took office last year, came after gunmen killed 14 Pakistani security personnel in mid-April in Balochistan Province.

On April 20, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan had evidence that the "terrorist outfits" that carried out the attack have "training and logistic camps inside Iranian areas bordering Pakistan", according to AFP. "

"We have shared this actionable evidence with Iran after due authentication and identified (the) location of the camps," he added.

In March, Rouhani demanded Pakistan act "decisively against anti-Iranian terrorists", following a February 13 suicide bombing that killed 27 members of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Sistan-Baluchistan, Iran.

A threat to security

"I think Iran's double standard and interference in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries are a major threat to regional security," Muhammad Naveed Zafar, an Islamabad-based defence analyst, told Pakistan Forward.

"A country that is extensively exporting terrorism for its strategic interests cannot prove sincere in any commitment," he said, referring to Iran's long practice of financing the Fatemiyoun and Zainabiyoun militias in Syria and to the IRGC, which the United States in early April designated as a terrorist group.

"In the past, Pakistan signed several other agreements with Iran in the energy and other sectors, but those were not proved to be result oriented," Zafar said. "In my judgment, considering Iran a credible partner may result in more dire consequences as its contradictory role has already been largely exposed in the war in Syria and other countries."

"We must not ignore that recently in ... Gwadar, Iran-based militants killed 14 Pakistani security personnel," he added, referring to the Balochistan massacre that Qureshi blamed on terrorists based in Iran.

"Iran is basically a sponsor of terrorism, and it is lobbying to gain the support of neighbouring countries for its geopolitical interests," Zafar added.

"In my opinion, it is a very contradictory narrative that Pakistan has agreed to the formation of a joint border counter-terrorism mechanism and rapid-response force with Iran, which is internationally declared as a state that sponsors militancy in the region," Malak Abdul Wali, vice president of the Balochistan National Party, told Pakistan Forward.

"The paradigm shift in ties with Iran, despite its anti-peace role, may cause more problems for the economy and security of Pakistan," he said.

"Our Foreign Ministry has affirmed that Iran-based militants are carrying out attacks against our soil, but the prime minister is ignoring this reality," said Wali.

"Iran's role in Syria and its influence in neighbouring countries have made it too controversial for any bilateral agreement," he added.

Reconsidering Iran ties

In regard to trade with Iran, "our business community is facing huge losses and the Iranian authorities are not fulfilling their commitments with our [Quetta] Chamber of Commerce," Abdul Ali Khan, a Quetta-based investor and former president of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association, told Pakistan Forward.

"Due to prevailing geopolitical and economic implications with regard to US sanctions, Pakistan must revisit its ties with Iran as these ties in the future could harm our national security," he said.

"Pakistani traders who are engaged in trade with Iran are facing payment problems," he said.

"The Iranian government claimed that it would facilitate Pakistani traders to enhance its trade with Pakistan, but instead of lowering tariffs on imports from Pakistan, Iran has increased the tariffs," he added.

[Abdul Ghani Kakar in Quetta contributed to this report.]

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13 Comment(s)

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I want to work for PAF, I will take whatever the test may be, if God willing.

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Fantastic

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Nice

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NAVEED ZAFAR IS ALSO BELONG TO THAT GROUP WHICH IS AGAINST IRAN WHY ALLAH ALMIGHTY KNOWS BETTER.NAVEED ZAFAR MUST REMEMBER IRAN IS THE ONLY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WHICH NOT ONLY RESIST IN IRAQ AND SYRIA BUT ALSO SUCCEEDED AGAINST THE SUPER POWERS.WHERE YOU STAND YOU MUST KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN IRAQ AND SYRIA YOU KNOW BETTER.THE SOCALLED ANALYST LIKE NAVEED ZAFAR ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESTRUCTION AND DIVISION OF PAKISTAN.FREINDS NOT MASTER DESTROYED THE IMAGE OF PAKISTAN IN THE WORLD,WHO HAS GIVEN ADVICE TO GEN AYUB KHAN AND WHO HAD WRITTEN WAS SO CALLED ANALYST AND GERNALIST.WHO HAD GIVEN ADVICE TO GEN.MUSHARAF TO TAKE AGAINST L MASJID IN ISLAMABAD WAS A SO CALLED GERNALIST WHO THEN BEGAN TO SHOUT AGAINST GEN.MUSHARAF.SIMILAR IS THE CASE HERE MANY ANALYSTS LIKE NAVEED ZAFAR DESIRES TO MAKE PAKISTAN ISOLATE SO THAT ENEMIES OF PAKISTAN CAN ENJOY LIKE 1971 BUT NOW PAKISTANIS ARE READY TO BURST THAT WHO WILL TRY TO FINISH PAKISTAN.EVERY PAKISTANI IS A SUICIDE BOMBER TO SAVE PAKISTAN AS OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS BLEW UP THEMSELVES WITH BOMBS AND DEFEATED INDIAN ARMY BY CRUSHING TANKS INTO PIECES.AFWAJ E PAKISTAN ZINDABAD ! THANKS.

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BREAKING VERY IMPORTANT HA

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Yes iran export terrorism while saudia and isreal are exporter of peace.look cruality of iranian forces how they terrorised innocent daesh and isis in syria and iraq .

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Informative, I supported this article.

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Shame on you puppets of Saudi and their Rial.... Iran has been the sole country since it's inception to have supported Muslims all over the world being suppressed by Non Believers and any tyrant ruler.... Pakistan is the country which houses and harbour Terrorists... Aren't there Taliban in this country that constantly claims responsibility of any kind of terror attack in Pakistan... Why any sort of military operations is launched against them to not let them operate such attacks..... Should be ashamed of being ones who sell their own for dollars....

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Little knowledge! You need more research on this sensitive issue, plz.

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can you google some more info and than say whateva you want to i am Pakistani and i know we have fought and won against Every terrorist activity either was planed or executed and we did succeeded but its just waste of time explain you cause all you got is information with no research

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links of all places suffering from terrorism in Muslim countries end up to Iran. Links of sectarianism also end up to Iran. Iran is involved in every illegal assistance required for breaking apart countries and for strengthen her sect. It would be better to impose every type of restrictions on Iran and limit her movement, so as to control sectarianism and terrorism in Muslim countries. History is evident that Iran had been the main source of weakening the Muslim countries and spreading dispersal.

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You may tell as much lie as possible, but Allah’s will has to prevail; we are famous worldwide in creating and exporting terrorist outfits; Iran might also have created Taliban, Alqaida, Sipah-e-Sahabah, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-ul-Adl, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Jandullah and Lashkar-e-Taiba who killed eighty thousand Pakistanis in suicide attacks and bombings in Pakistan.

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Iran biggest terrorist exporter of world...

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