ISLAMABAD: The situation took worst turn after Iran fired missiles on Pakistan resulting in killing of two minor girls in Punjgor area of Balochistan and Pakistan decided to call back its ambassador from Iran while Iranian envoy to Pakistan, who is in Iran was also asked to stay in Iran.
Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in a statement issued on Wednesday evening, said Islamabad has also suspended all the visits of its officials to Iran.
Pakistan has also asked the Iranian ambassador in Islamabad, who is currently visiting his home country, not to return, the spokesperson added.
“Last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. This illegal act is completely unacceptable and has no justification whatsoever. Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal act. The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran”, the Foreign Office Spokesperson said.
She also stated, “We have conveyed this message to the Iranian Government. We have also informed them 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. We have also decided to suspend all high level visits which were ongoing or were planned between Pakistan and Iran in coming days”.
Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan strongly condemned the unprovoked violation of its airspace by Iran and the strike inside Pakistani territory, which resulted in the death of two innocent children while injuring three girls.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said: “This violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences.”
The statement reads: “It is even more concerning that this illegal act has taken place despite the existence of several channels of communication between Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan’s strong protest has already been lodged with the concerned senior official in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran.
The FO spokesperson said that the Iranian charge d’affaires had been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey our strongest condemnation of this blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and that the responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran.”
Iran allegedly launched attacks in Pakistan on Tuesday targeting what it described as two bases of Baloch group Jaish al-Adl, state media reported, potentially further raising tensions in the Middle East already roiled by Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Iranian state media reported that the bases were “hit and destroyed” by missiles and drones, without elaborating.
Other media reports claimed that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards carried out the “ballistic missile strikes” at multiple locations on Iran-Pakistan border. An open-source intelligence monitor claimed the Revolutionary Guards announced they carried out the attack using ballistic missiles as well as “one-way suicide drones” against the “anti-Iran terrorist groups”.
Read more: China urges Pakistan, Iran to ‘exercise restraint’ after deadly air strike
