Pakistan's strikes targeted terrorists inside Iran, Islamabad tells Ankara

ISLAMABAD: After Pakistan's retaliatory strikes against Iran, caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Friday told his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, that Pakistan’s strikes targeted terrorists inside Iran.

FM Jilani, during a telephonic conversation with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkiye Fidan, discussed the border tension and later development between Pakistan and Iran.

FM Jilani shared Pakistan’s perspective and the recent happenings. “Pakistan’s Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar was aimed at terrorist camps inside Iran,” he said adding that Pakistan had no interest or desire in escalation.

The phone call came a day after the exchange of positive messages between the top Pakistani and Iranian officials.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch shared a tête-à-tête between Additional Foreign Secretary Rahim Hayat Qureshi and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Rasoul Mousavi on her X handle, saying: “Some positive exchanges.”

Pakistan launched strikes on terrorists’ hideouts inside Iran on Thursday, in a retaliatory attack two days after Tehran violated the country’s sovereignty by launching a strike in Balochistan that left two children dead and injured three girls.

In a statement, the Pakistan Army said the hideouts used by terrorist militant organisations, namely Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF), were successfully struck in an intelligence-based operation, code named — "Marg Bar Sarmachar".

In an X post today, the FO additional secretary responded to his Iranian counterpart letter saying he reciprocated the sentiments of “dear brother Seyed Rasoul Mousavi”.

He said Pakistan and Iran have fraternal relations and the countries to move forward to resolve all issues through positive dialogue.

He said it is important to restore trust and confidence that has always defined bilateral relations between the two countries.

“Our common challenges including terrorism require coordinated action,” he added.

Mousavi said he believed that Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the endpoint of the prevailing tensions between the two countries.

“Leaders and high officials of both countries know that only terrorists and enemies of both countries benefit from the existing tension between the two neighboring countries,” he wrote on X in Persian.

Meanwhile, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has summoned separate meetings of the federal cabinet and the National Security Committee (NSC) on Friday (today) to discuss the situation arising out of Pak-Iran tension.

The prime minister who was in Davos to attend a meeting of the World Economic Forum, cut short his visit to return to the country.

The cabinet would review the scenario against the backdrop of strikes and air space violations by Iran.

The meeting would also be briefed on the border situation and operational preparedness and briefing of the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs given to the media on Thursday.

The cabinet would also discuss matters with regard to preparations for the February 8 elections.

The NSC meeting to be attended by Cabinet members who are members of the Committee, the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, three services chiefs, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), would hold consultations on the current situation on the Pak-Iran border.

Some important decisions are expected with regard to country’s internal and external security.