Iranian foreign minister in Pakistan for ‘in-depth’ talks to mend frayed ties

Islamabad: Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdolahian will hold “in-depth” talks with his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani here on Monday, days after the two neighbours conducted tit-for-tat military strikes at alleged terrorist bases in both countries.

Abdollahian was received at the Nur Khan air base late Sunday night by Additional Foreign Secretary (Afghanistan and West Asia) Rah Hayat, the foreign office said.

“During the visit, Foreign Minister Abdollahian will hold in-depth talks with Foreign Minister Jilani and call on Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar,” it said in a statement.

The visit comes after the two nations narrowly avoided an armed conflict after Iran unilaterally targeted alleged sites of militants inside the Pakistan border area of Punjgur. However, the situation was saved when Tehran restrained itself from retaliating after Islamabad launched retaliatory strikes in response to its action.

Earlier this month, Pakistan conducted “precision military strikes” against what it called “terrorist hideouts” in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province that killed nine people. The attack was seen as retaliation to Iranian missile and drone attacks which targeted two bases of the Sunni Baloch militant group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s unruly Balochistan province.

Though the ties have improved since the spat, terrorists killed nine Pakistani labourers in Sistan-Blauchistan province of Iran on Saturday, fuelling fresh concerns.