Pakistan Pledges Efforts to Free Abducted Iranian Soldiers
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - An Iranian lawmaker said the Pakistani officials have pledged efforts to free five Iranian border guards recently kidnapped by a Pakistani-based terrorist group.
Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency on Monday, Iranian legislator, Seyed Baqer Hosseini, gave details about a Sunday meeting between three Iranian parliamentarians and a delegation of visiting Pakistani lawmakers in Tehran.
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian lawmakers, headed by Parliament's First Vice Speaker Mohammad Hassan Aboutorabifard, held a meeting with a group of Pakistani MPs, led by Assembly Speaker of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, Mir Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali.
The meeting aimed to study the latest developments regarding the fate of five Iranian border guards who were kidnapped by Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group in February.
Hosseini told Tasnim that the Pakistani officials have promised to “do their utmost” to settle the problem immediately, and added, “They (Pakistanis) said will employ the local officials and state forces to free the five Iranian border guards.”
“We called on the assembly speaker of Paksitan’s Balochistan province to eradicate the insecurities in the region and in (Iran’s) Sistan and Balouchestan province,” he pointed out.
The so-called Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group abducted the five Iranian soldiers in Jakigour region in the southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan on February 6, holding them hostage inside the Pakistani territory.
In recent days, Iranian officials have stressed that the Pakistani government has a commitment to secure its borders with Iran based on the joint security agreement signed by the two countries.
They have suggested that Tehran could send forces into Pakistan to free the five soldiers.
In February 2013, Tehran and Islamabad had signed a security agreement which requires both sides to take strict measures to combat terrorism and human and drug trafficking.
