ISLAMABAD          -        Pakistan yesterday urged the Iranian authorities to ensure thorough investigation into cross border terrorist attack. The cross border terrorist attack took place in Panjgur district of Balochistan on January 18. Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the terrorists used the Iranian soil to target a convoy of Pakistani security forces patrolling along Pakistan-Iran border. “We expect Iran to ensure its territory is not used for cross border attacks in Pakistan. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

We strongly commit that our territory will not be used for undertaking cross border attacks in Iran and we expect the same from Iran,” she added. Baloch said Pakistan and Iran were neighbours and “our channel of communications are active. We are sharing with the Iranian side our concerns regarding the incident.” To a question, the foreign office spokesperson said Pakistan had always desired cooperative relationship with all its neighbours including India.

“We have consistently advocated for constructive engagement to resolve all outstanding issues including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir.

However, India’s unabated hostility and retrogressive actions have vitiated the environment and impeded the process of peace and cooperation,” she said. The spokesperson said onus remains on India to create an enabling environment for meaningful and result oriented dialogue. “The reversal of India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5th August 2019 in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is of critical importance. She said Pakistan will also appreciate if international community especially friendly countries would convince India to take such steps,” she maintained. Baloch said Pakistan was in close contact with Saudi Arabia on matters pertaining to their investment in Pakistan.

To a question, she said Pakistan and the United States were in the process of robust engagement and dialogue. She said Pakistan and China had agreed to temporarily reopen Khunjerab border in two phases.

“In the first phase, the Khunjerab border will open today for two days and again from end January to early February after the Chinese Spring Festival,” she said. The spokesperson said the Khunjerab border remained closed during the winter months. “However the Chinese side has agreed to Pakistani request for temporary reopening of the border to facilitate local traders. Baloch said Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will undertake an official visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 25th of this month to attend the 26th meeting of the Council of Ministers of Economic Cooperation Organisation. She said the Foreign Minister will address the moot and hold bilateral meetings with participating ministers and other dignitaries on the sidelines of the event. Baloch condemned the continued oppression by Indian troops in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. She said the Indian forces’ personnel continued to carry out cordon and search operations in different parts of Rajouri, Poonch and Reasi districts, harassing the local population. The spokesperson said in a disturbing event, two Kashmiri youth were killed in a fake encounter in Budgam district after they were dislodged by the Indian troops from a vehicle and shot dead on spot. She said a family in Kunan village of Kupwara had been desperately looking for the whereabouts of their son and brother Abdul Rashid Dar for the last one month. She said a truck driver; Dar went missing on 15th December after he was whisked away by Army soldiers from 41 Rashtriya Rifles unit.

Baloch said the case of Abdul Rashid Dar, though tragic, was not unique as over the last three decades, hundreds have gone missing while in the custody of Indian forces.

According to credible counts, some 8000 persons have gone missing in IIOJK since 1989. She said Pakistan will continue to raise its voice on the continuing grave human rights abuses in IIOJK and will also continue to extend unstinted moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Kashmir in their struggle for right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Moreover, the Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mohammad Ali Hosseini was called to the Foreign Office on Thursday to express Pakistan’s grave concern over the terrorist attack from inside Iranian territory in which four Pakistani security personnel embraced martyrdom.

The Iranian Ambassador said that Pakistani concerns would be conveyed to Tehran and assured that steps are being taken to prevent such attacks in the future. The Iranian Ambassador expressed condolences to Pakistani officials on the Shahadat of security officials.

Pakistan and Iranian top security officials also spoke on phone and discussed the security situation along with border and terrorist attack on Pakistani security forces which resulted into Shahadat of four Pakistani security officials.