- Islamabad, Tehran for effective implementation within framework of 1960 agreement
Pakistan and Iran have agreed to strengthen cooperation to tackle the challenges posed by miscreants during the first session of the Pakistan-Iran Higher Border Commission held here in Tehran.
Pakistani delegation was led by Mansoor Ahmad Khan, director general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the Iranian delegation was led by Hossein Azar Panahi, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two sides held constructive discussions for effective implementation of existing border mechanisms within the framework of the 1960 agreement.
They agreed to strengthen coordination and cooperation to effectively address the challenges posed by miscreants including drug smugglers, human trafficking and criminal networks, they also agreed on the need to prevent border violations. Frontier Corps Southern Command Inspector General Major General Tariq Aman and other civilian and security officials were also included in the Pakistan delegation.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan and Iran share 917km long border. In May 2017, Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz announced in Islamabad that a Pakistan-Iran border commission has been formed and would hold its first meeting within a month. He said that the commission would comprise four members from each country.
Before this development, Pakistan and Iran had agreed to constitute an operational committee at various levels to ensure better border management. During a meeting between Minister for Interior Affairs Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and visiting Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Javad Zarif, it was agreed that the two countries would cooperate with each other for effective border management.
At that time, Sartaj pointed out that smugglers and other elements were also present along the Pak-Iran border, as the border issues facing the countries were not limited to terrorism. He also noted that a larger number of members of the Jaish-e-Adl, a militant group, responsible for a recent attack on Iranian guards on the Pak-Iran border, are present on the Iranian side of the border.
