MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th February, 2019) The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned on Sunday Pakistani Ambassador to the Islamic republic Riffat Masood in order to make representation and lodge a protest over the recent terror attack in southeastern Iran, Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Bahram Qassemi said.
On Wednesday, Iranian media reported that an individual in an explosive-laden vehicle targeted a bus carrying a number of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel in Sistan and Baluchistan province. According to the latest data, 27 people were killed and 13 more injured by the attack. The Jaish ul-Adl extremist group, linked to the al-Qaeda terror organization (banned in Russia), has claimed responsibility for the attack.
"After the February 13 attack ... the Pakistani ambassador, Mrs. Riffat Masood, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry. We are voicing our protest over the increasing number of terror attacks in Pakistan as well as the recent attack on the Khash-Zahedan road ... Iran expects the Pakistani government and army to take necessary measures ... against active terror groups in the Pakistani areas bordering Iran," Qassemi said, as quoted by the Telegram channel of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Tehran also asked Islamabad to take urgent measures to find and arrest terrorists who operated in the area near the site of the attack on Wednesday.
The Pakistani ambassador vowed to deliver the Iranian position to the Pakistani government.
IRGC Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Ali Jaafari called on Pakistan to boost anti-terror efforts saying that otherwise Iran will retaliate for the attack itself.
Earlier this week, the Indian foreign secretary summoned the Pakistani diplomat over the Thursday attack in the Pulwama district of India's Jammu and Kashmir state that killed around 45 personnel. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs accused Pakistan of a role in the terrorist attack and demanded that it "ceases forthwith all support and financing to terror groups operating from areas under their control."
