Iran's President: We’re awaiting Pakistan’s firm action against terrorists

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Iran's President described the relations between the Iranian and Pakistani nations exceptional and historical, stressing that the senior officials of the two countries have a heavy responsibility for sustaining and strengthening relations between the two nations.

Speaking with Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan on Saturday, Dr Hassan Rouhani called for Islamabad’s strong action against anti-Iranian terrorists, saying, “We must not let decades of friendship and fraternity between the two countries to be undermined because of terrorist groups’ actions, who we know where they are being sponsored from”.

He added, “We must not let third parties to affect relations between Iran and Pakistan with these actions”.

Stating that Iran knows exactly where the terrorist groups that use the Pakistani soil to carry out terrorist attacks on the Iranian nation are located, the President said, “We are awaiting your strong action against these terrorists”.

He went on to refer to the Khash-Zahedran Road terrorist attack that took the lives of Iranian border guards, saying, “We are witnessing many terrorist attacks by terrorists who are unfortunately located on the Pakistani soil, and in dealing with these terrorists, whose existence are not in favour of us, you and the region, we are fully ready to cooperate with the Pakistani army and government".

“The continuation of these terrorists’ activities from the Pakistani soil can undermine the relations between the two countries,” he continued.

President Rouhani also stressed that the Iranian forces were ready to cooperate with Islamabad to give a strong response to the terrorists, and said, “We are willing to continue our friendly relations with Pakistan”.

Referring to the Pakistani Prime Minister’s remarks, Dr Rouhani also said that Tehran was ready to welcome the Pakistani PM.

During the same phone call, the Prime Minister of Pakistan said, “I hope I can visit Iran soon,” assuring that the Pakistani army and government will do their best to eliminate the terrorists and will not let these terrorists use the soil of the country against neighbours, especially the people of Iran”.

Expressing condolences over the martyrdom of a number of Iranian armed forces in the Khash-Zahedran Road terrorist attack, Imran Khan said that Pakistan would soon have good news on dealing with terrorists.

“It is to the interest of Pakistan not to let terrorist groups use our soil, and the Pakistani army is ready to deal with terrorists more strongly with the intelligence provided by Iran,” he said.

The Pakistani PM emphasised that Islamabad called for development and deepening of relations with Tehran in all areas of mutual interest.

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