Pakistan has opted to recall its ambassador from Iran and halt all ongoing or planned high-level visits between the two nations in reaction to the “unprovoked violation of its airspace” by Tehran.
Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch announced the measures on Wednesday in a weekly press briefing here in Islamabad.
Iran countered, asserting that it targeted an “Iranian terrorist group” and clarified that no citizens of Pakistan were harmed.
On Tuesday Iran did strike within Pakistani territory, resulting in the tragic death of two innocent children and injuries to three girls.
The FO emphasized the incident as a severe “violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.” Although the statement did not specify the location, Iranian state media indicated that the attack occurred in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan.
In a press briefing in Islamabad today, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran was 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,” she added.
“Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal act and the responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran,” Baloch said, adding that Islamabad had conveyed the 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,” she said.
Baloch added that Islamabad had decided to suspend all high-level visits which were ongoing or were planned between Pakistan and Iran in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Tehran’s top diplomat has alleged that his country’s armed forces targeted an “Iranian terrorist group” in Pakistan later Tuesday night.
