The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that Pakistan’s deputy foreign minister is due to visit Iran in the next few days to discuss the fate of the 5th Iranian border guard who was abducted by Jeish al-Adl terrorist group along with four of his comrades in February and has still been kept hostage despite the freedom of his other four colleagues, FARS news agency reported on Tuesday.
“In the view of the Foreign Ministry, the fate of the fifth border guard is not clear yet and we are pursuing his condition through the Iranian and Pakistani officials,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said in her weekly press conference.
The spokeswoman further mentioned that “during the Pakistani deputy foreign minister’s visit to Iran in the next few days, we will discuss expansion of relations, the fate of the (fifth) border guard and the security situation at the borders”.
Stressing that Iran is sure that the fifth border guard has been transferred to Pakistan after being kidnapped with his other four colleagues, Afkham said Tehran and Pakistan are having joint cooperation to establish security at their borders and they have plans to increase their cooperation in future.
Her remarks came amid reports and claims by Jeish al-Adl that the terrorist group has killed, Jamshid Danayee-Far, one of the Iranian border guards kidnapped along Iran-Pakistan borders in February.
The five Iranian border guards were abducted in Jakigour region of Iran’s Sistan and Balouchestan Province on February 6 and taken to Pakistan. Jeish al-Adl claimed late last month that it has executed Danayee-Far.
The other four abducted Iranian border guards who were released and handed over to Iranian officials in neighbouring Pakistan on Friday returned home on Sunday morning two months after their abduction but there is still no news about Danayee-Far or his body.
In relevant comments on Tuesday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani raised the possibility of the health of the fifth border guard, and called on the Pakistani officials to double efforts to release him.
Meantime, Governor-General of Iran’s Southeastern Sistan and Balouchestan province Ali Awsat Hashemi has confirmed the death Danayee-Far, and said Iran is waiting for the transfer of his body.
