File photo of Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch
Pakistan has urged Iranian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into a cross-border attack in Balochistan’s Panjgur district and bring the perpetrators to task, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said on Thursday.
A day earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations had issued a statement announcing the martyrdom of four security personnel in a terrorist attack from “Iranian soil.” Addressing a weekly press briefing, Baloch said the terrorists had used Iranian soil to target a convoy of security forces patrolling the Pak-Iran border. Pakistan, she said, condemns terrorism in all its forms. Stressing that Pakistan is committed to not allowing any of its soil to be used against Iran, she said Islamabad expects the same from Tehran. All communication channels between the neighboring states are active, she said, adding concerns arising from the attack have been shared with Iranian authorities.
Bilateral ties
To a question, the spokesperson said Pakistan desires positive relations with all its neighbors, including India, and wants to resolve all pending disputes, including Kashmir, through dialogue. However, she regretted, India’s unabated hostility and retrogressive actions have impeded any attempts at peace and cooperation. Emphasizing that the onus was on India to create an enabling environment for meaningful and result-oriented dialogue, she said a key part of this would be reversing Delhi’s “illegal and unilateral” move of Aug. 5, 2019 to revoke the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan, she said, would also appreciate any efforts by the international community to facilitate dialogue between the rival states.
To another question, Baloch said Islamabad was in close contact with Riyadh on matters pertaining to their investment in Pakistan. She said Pakistan and the U.S. were also engaged in continuous dialogue, adding Islamabad hopes to further deepen its ties with Washington.
The spokesperson also announced that Pakistan and China had agreed to temporarily reopen the Khunjerab border in two phases. In the first phase, it would be reopened for two days—Jan. 19-20—while in the second phase it would remain open from the end of January till early February. Noting that the Khunjerab border remains shut during winter months, she said the Chinese side had agreed to Pakistan’s request for its temporary reopening to facilitate local traders. “We appreciate the special efforts of border officials on both sides to ensure smooth border operations despite inclement weather conditions,” she added.
During her briefing, Baloch confirmed that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would undertake an official visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Jan. 25 to attend the 26th meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization. She said he would address the summit and hold bilateral meetings with participating ministers and other dignitaries on the sidelines of the event.