According to John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, the United States is “very, very closely” watching the situation between Pakistan and Iran and advising the two nations to prevent tensions from rising. “We don’t want to see an escalation between these two well-armed nations,” Kirby told reporters on Air Force One while accompanied by President Joe Biden. He went on, “It is obvious that we do not want to see an escalation in South and Central Asia. And, as you can anticipate, we communicate with our counterparts in Pakistan.” Following Iranian strikes in Pakistan late on Tuesday, Pakistan launched missile strikes into Iran. According to a representative for the foreign office, Pakistani precision strikes had targeted “terrorist hideouts” in the Sistan-Baluchestan province of southeast Iran.
Less than 48 hours after Iran violated Pakistan’s airspace, Pakistan attacked terrorist hideouts in the Sistan-Baluchestan province of Iran on Thursday morning. “Hideouts used by terrorist organisations, namely Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) ” were hit in an intelligence-based operation dubbed “Marg Bar Sarmachar,” according to a statement released by the military’s media affairs division. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi claimed that all nine victims of the attack, which targeted a village in the city of Saravan, “were foreign nationals.” The news agency IRNA published the incident’s results. According to Iranian official television, Iran initiated attacks in Pakistan on Tuesday, specifically targeting what it claimed to be strongholds for the militant group Jaish al-Adl near the Balochistani border town of Panjgur.
Pakistan Foreign Office has said, there are no plans to escalate tensions with Iran. Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated during her weekly news briefing in Islamabad today that the military strikes this morning were intended to target terrorist hideouts in Iran rather than the country or its institutions. Pakistan, according to her, respects the Islamic Republic of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity to the fullest. The act of today was solely intended to further Pakistan’s national interest and security, which are of utmost importance and cannot be jeopardised. According to the spokesperson, Pakistan wants to live in peace with every nation in the area, including Iran. She declared that Pakistan will keep up its diplomatic efforts with Tehran in order to guarantee both nations’ continued peace.
According to President Dr. Arif Alvi, Pakistan will take all necessary steps to defend its soil and will not compromise on its territorial integrity or national security. He praised the professionalism of the Pakistani Armed Forces in a statement, saying they struck the terrorists’ hideouts in the Iranian province of Siestan-o-Baluchistan without harming any civilians. He said that eliminating terrorism would require international cooperation since it was a common problem. According to him, Pakistan completely respects each state’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and demands that other countries follow international law by not breaking it. According to the president, Iran and Pakistan are friendly nations that should communicate and consult with one another to settle disputes.
China has shown a willingness to assist in mediating a resolution between Pakistan and Iran following a string of attacks by both governments on militant targets across their respective borders, resulting in fatalities on both sides. Two toddlers were killed and three girls were injured in the late-night missile strike that Iran launched without warning. The “unprovoked” attack was sharply denounced by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, which claimed that Tehran had infringed on the nation’s sovereignty. In the meantime, Pakistan launched an attack overnight in retaliation to the strikes that Iran claimed hit a militant outfit, killing many militant targets who lived in the Iranian border region. Tehran reports that the Islamabad bombing had killed at least seven civilians.
The latest Iranian strikes in Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria were denounced by the US, despite Tehran’s assertion that they were directed at “anti-Iranian terrorist groups.” Therefore, we do reject those strikes. In the last few days alone, Iran has violated the national borders of three of its neighbours, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. Islamabad issued a strong warning to its neighbour, Iran, in response to Tehran’s unilateral violation of Pakistani airspace on Wednesday. It also declared that the Iranian ambassador would be expelled and that Pakistan would be withdrawing its envoy from Tehran. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a spokesperson for the Foreign Office, stated during a news briefing that “Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan who is currently visiting Iran may not return for the time being.”
There is good news for the economy, especially for the railways, as Pakistan and the UAE have inked several agreements totaling over $3 billion to collaborate on infrastructure, economic zones, and railways. This development coincides with Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the prime minister of Pakistan, attending the 54th World Economic Forum (WEF) conference in Davos, Switzerland. The agreements, which were published on X by Pakistan Railways secretary Syed Mazhar Ali Shah on Thursday, encompass the establishment of freight terminals, a multi-modal logistics park, and a dedicated freight route.
In response to Iran’s incursion into Pakistani airspace, Islamabad declared on Wednesday that it was removing the Iranian ambassador and calling back its envoy from Tehran. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told a press conference in Islamabad, “Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan who is currently visiting Iran may not return for the time being.” The event occurred after Tehran, according to Iranian state media, used drones and missiles to demolish the headquarters of a terrorist organisation it said was operating within Pakistani territory called “Green Mountain.” Iran’s action was referred to by Islamabad as a “unprovoked and blatant” infringement of Pakistan’s sovereignty and as a breach of international law.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar claimed that Pakistan’s media was “freer” than that of the West, citing “stricter regulations” in the latter case. During a World Economic Forum side interview, the prime minister said as much to CNBC. In the course of the conversation, Kakar discussed the nation’s economic prospects, the impending election, and the accusations made against former prime minister Imran Khan. When asked if they thought the next elections would be “rigged,” the prime minister responded that those who had such concerns should wait until the votes were completed before questioning the conduct. “At first, they said that there would be no elections. He stated, “They are saying that this election is one of the most rigged in history right now when we are having one.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has given Pakistan $700 million as part of its bailout programme, Governor Jameel Ahmed of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced on Wednesday. Following the IMF Executive Board’s initial assessment last week, the loan was approved, bringing the $3 billion Standby Arrangement (SBA) total disbursements to about $1.9 billion. Antoinette Sayeh, Deputy Managing Director and Chair, stated last week that there were “tentative signs of activity picking-up and external pressures easing” following the board’s approval. Aiming to offer a framework for financial support from bilateral and multilateral partners as well as a policy foundation for resolving internal and external balances, the nine-month SBA was approved by the Executive Board on July 12 of last month.
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