Iran Expects Pakistan Action to Secure Release of Border Guards: Spokesman
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry said efforts to free Iranian border guards recently abducted along the border with Pakistan are regarded as a litmus test for Islamabad’s new government, urging Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government to take positive measures in this regard.
In comments on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said, “We expect the new Pakistani government to take acceptable and positive action on the first incident that has occurred in the course of Iran-Pakistan relations during Mr. Imran Khan’s term as prime minster.”
He also hoped that the new Pakistani government would “pass this test successfully” and the negotiations and cooperation between the two countries would yield positive results.
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour traveled to Pakistan on Monday to pursue the issue of the Iranian border guards who were kidnapped and taken into Pakistan by Takfiri terrorists earlier this month.
Pakistani-based terrorists kidnapped 14 Iranian forces at a border post in Mirjaveh region in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Balouchestan on October 15.
Iranian military forces along the southeastern border areas are frequently attacked by terrorist groups coming from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Tehran has frequently asked the two neighbors to step up security at the common border to prevent terrorist attacks on Iranian forces.
