TEHRAN:
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has urged the United
Nations to help secure the release of Iranian border soldiers abducted
by extremists, the media reported on Thursday.
Zarif sent a message to UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday evening demanding action from the international community, saying “mere condemnation of acts of terrorism is not enough.” His urgent plea to the UN chief came after Jaish-ul Adl, the rebel group operating in southeast Iran, claimed to have killed one of the five abducted soldiers and threatened further executions. Ban had on Tuesday condemned the reported killing as an “appalling act” and urged that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
The young soldiers, who were serving their 24-month mandatory military service, are believed to have been taken into neighbouring Pakistan after being kidnapped in February. Zarif linked the abduction to what he termed a series of “terrorist atrocities against Iranian citizens, including diplomats and other officials”, according to a copy of his letter to Ban posted on his Facebook page.
He decried action against Iran by “state-sponsored extremist groups, with similar patterns of funding, coordination, support and direction”. Zarif did not name any countries but Iranian officials have pointed the finger of blame at regional rivals for a number of attacks against Iranian diplomatic missions in Lebanon, Pakistan and Yemen.
A diplomatic source in Tehran said the letter could pave the way for a debate within the UN as “state-sponsored terrorism” was a regional issue. Jaish-ul Adl warned of further executions should Tehran refuse to release their prisoners. It claimed responsibility for killing a local prosecutor and 14 Iranian border guards in an ambush in 2013.
Ties with Islamabad have taken hit since the abduction, with Iran criticising what it calls Pakistan’s inability to secure its borders and purge its soil of militants. In a phone call with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani demanded “serious and swift action” to free the soldiers.
Our correspondent adds: Meanwhile, Pakistan categorically denied that the recent killing of an Iranian Border Guard took place on the Pakistan territory and said that managing any border was the responsibility of both the sides.
“We are neither apologetic nor we are expected to be aggressive. As both the sides have repeatedly said, we have a very strong relationship and we will continue to work together with Iran to further strengthen it,” said the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson.
Five Iranian Border Guards disappeared 10-15 kilometres inside the Iranian territory in the Sistan-Baluchestan province, but Pakistani authorities, after thorough investigations, could not find them nor were there any signs that they were brought inside Pakistan, the FO spokesperson said.
About the recent Iranian rhetoric mostly for domestic consumption, Pakistan says it does not want to take up a very sensitive issue using the media.“We have condemned the killing of the Iranian guard and we have full sympathy with the families and with the Iranian government. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We stand ready, as we have done in the past, to help Iran locate them but we have no indication that they are in the Pakistani territory,” said the spokesperson.
Zarif sent a message to UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday evening demanding action from the international community, saying “mere condemnation of acts of terrorism is not enough.” His urgent plea to the UN chief came after Jaish-ul Adl, the rebel group operating in southeast Iran, claimed to have killed one of the five abducted soldiers and threatened further executions. Ban had on Tuesday condemned the reported killing as an “appalling act” and urged that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
The young soldiers, who were serving their 24-month mandatory military service, are believed to have been taken into neighbouring Pakistan after being kidnapped in February. Zarif linked the abduction to what he termed a series of “terrorist atrocities against Iranian citizens, including diplomats and other officials”, according to a copy of his letter to Ban posted on his Facebook page.
He decried action against Iran by “state-sponsored extremist groups, with similar patterns of funding, coordination, support and direction”. Zarif did not name any countries but Iranian officials have pointed the finger of blame at regional rivals for a number of attacks against Iranian diplomatic missions in Lebanon, Pakistan and Yemen.
A diplomatic source in Tehran said the letter could pave the way for a debate within the UN as “state-sponsored terrorism” was a regional issue. Jaish-ul Adl warned of further executions should Tehran refuse to release their prisoners. It claimed responsibility for killing a local prosecutor and 14 Iranian border guards in an ambush in 2013.
Ties with Islamabad have taken hit since the abduction, with Iran criticising what it calls Pakistan’s inability to secure its borders and purge its soil of militants. In a phone call with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani demanded “serious and swift action” to free the soldiers.
Our correspondent adds: Meanwhile, Pakistan categorically denied that the recent killing of an Iranian Border Guard took place on the Pakistan territory and said that managing any border was the responsibility of both the sides.
“We are neither apologetic nor we are expected to be aggressive. As both the sides have repeatedly said, we have a very strong relationship and we will continue to work together with Iran to further strengthen it,” said the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson.
Five Iranian Border Guards disappeared 10-15 kilometres inside the Iranian territory in the Sistan-Baluchestan province, but Pakistani authorities, after thorough investigations, could not find them nor were there any signs that they were brought inside Pakistan, the FO spokesperson said.
About the recent Iranian rhetoric mostly for domestic consumption, Pakistan says it does not want to take up a very sensitive issue using the media.“We have condemned the killing of the Iranian guard and we have full sympathy with the families and with the Iranian government. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We stand ready, as we have done in the past, to help Iran locate them but we have no indication that they are in the Pakistani territory,” said the spokesperson.
No comments:
Post a Comment