Iran offers to take over security of Pakistan border

An Iranian lawmaker has called on Pakistan to hand over to Iran the security of its common border with the Islamic Republic.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that since Pakistan is not capable enough of securing [its] common borders with Iran, it should entrust this arduous task to Iran,” said Evaz Heidarpour who sits on the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iran’s Majlis.

He said the volatile situation along the Iran-Pakistan common border could open a Pandora’s box, and added Tehran has proposed that Islamabad hand over to Iran the full responsibility of ensuring security along the border, but “Pakistan has not yet given a response in that regard.”

The Iranian MP also denounced the abduction of the five Iranian border guards by the Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group as an “inhumane act,” stressing that all Iranian security bodies have been seriously following up the case and contacting Pakistani officials as well as international organizations ever since the kidnapping took place last month.

Jaish-ul-Adl terrorists kidnapped five Iranian border guards in Jakigour region in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan-and-Baluchestan on February 6 and took them to the Pakistani territory. The terrorists announced on March 23 that they had killed one of the hostages.

Iran later summoned Pakistan’s Ambassador to Tehran Noor Mohammad Jadmani in connection with the announced killing.

On October 25, 2013, the terrorist group killed 14 Iranian border guards and wounded six others in a border region near the city of Saravan in Sistan-and-Baluchestan Province.

Iran and Pakistan signed a security agreement in February 2013, under which both countries are required to cooperate in preventing and combating organized crime, fighting terrorism and countering the activities that pose a threat to the national security of either country.

Iran has repeatedly called on Pakistan to abide by the terms of the agreement.