— Iranian FM Hossein Amirabdollahian to visit Pakistan on Jan 29
— Envoys of both countries to return to job by January 26
ISLAMABAD: In a major breakthrough, Pakistan and Iran on Monday announced measures for normalisation in ties as both the countries said that their respective ambassadors could return to their offices by January 26.
A joint statement of the countries stated that diplomatic relations of Pakistan and Islamic Republic of Iran have been restored. The Foreign Office of Pakistan saidthat the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was due to arrive in Pakistan on January 29.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was visiting Pakistan on Jan 29, on invitation of his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jillani.
“Following the telephone conversation between the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, it has been mutually agreed that ambassadors of both countries may return to their respective posts by 26 January 2024,” said a joint statement simultaneously issued by Tehran and Islamabad.
During a telephonic conversation, Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian discussed return of the ambassadors back to their offices in respective capitals.
Pakistan and Iran also agreed to restore diplomatic ties and sending back to ambassadors to their postings after a standoff, the statement added.
The two foreign ministers stressed over brotherly ties and bilateral cooperation, said the foreign office in Islamabad.
Pakistan’s caretaker foreign minister urged that the respect of national solidarity and sovereignty should be the basis of cooperation. The sides also agreed to de-escalate tensions.
The foreign ministers talked after both countries exchanged drone and missile strikes in each other’s territory.
The tit-for-tat strikes by the two countries were the highest-profile cross-border intrusions in recent years and have raised alarm about wider instability in the region since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted on October 7, 2023.
Pakistan and Iran may often boast about the “friendly and brotherly” relations but underneath does exist certain issues that cause suspicion in both the capitals.
At the heart of the problem are the concerns both sides often expressed privately about the use of each other’s soil by certain terrorist groups.
Pakistan has longstanding concerns that Baloch terrorist outfits find refuge across the border in the Sistan-Balochistan province of Iran. Tehran on the other hand pointed a finger at anti-Iran militant groups such as Jaish al-Adl having hideouts in Balochistan province in Pakistan. Iran gave the same justification for carrying out cross-border missile strikes under the pretext that it was aimed at Jaish al-Adl hideouts.
Pakistan, in retaliation, conducted strikes and pounded with bombs what it said were the sanctuaries of Baloch terrorists. Iran admitted that those killed in Pakistani strikes were not Iranians.
In the aftermath of the tit-for-tat attacks, Pakistan is keen to work with Iran on a new arrangement that prevents such incidents in the future. One proposal is to strengthen the existing mechanisms to enhance cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Instead of violating each other’s sovereignty, the two countries may deepen intelligence cooperation, according to sources.
These proposals would be discussed during the engagements between the two countries. Foreign ministers of Iran and Pakistan spoke twice since the tit-for-tat attacks and agreed to work closely to deal with the matter.
Pakistan, on its part, has no intention to escalate tensions. The National Security Committee (NSC) in its meeting on Friday carefully used language to send a message of conciliation and cooperation.
The high-powered civil military forum termed the tit-for-tat attacks as “minor irritants.”
Iran too, after Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes, toned down its rhetoric. Tehran stressed that it was adhering to the policy of friendly ties with Islamabad and that no external enemies could strain their cooperation.
