“Body was not found in Pakistan”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tasnim Aslam on Thursday clarified that the Iranian border guard’s body was not found in Pakistan. In response to questions at the weekly media briefing, she said that the Foreign Office was upfront on all developments related to the issue of the five missing border guards and after they disappeared 10 or 15 km inside Iranian territory in Sistan-Balochistan province last month, Iran approached Pakistan to help in locating them.

Ms. Aslam said a hitherto unknown organisation Jaish-ul-Adl, claimed responsibility for kidnapping them. Pakistan had asked the Iran government to provide information.

The Pakistan-Iran Border Commission met in February and the two sides decided to establish a committee to look into this matter. The members of the Commission also went to the site from where the guards were supposedly kidnapped and Pakistan authorities combed the entire area. She reiterated that despite repeated combing operations there were no signs indicating that the missing guards were brought to Pakistan.

Pakistan has condemned the killing of the Iranian guard and expressed sympathy with the families and with the Iranian government.

She pointed out that managing any border is the responsibility of both sides and there is a border commission which meets regularly. “We are ready to help in locating these missing guards wherever they are. Our cooperation will continue as we have done in the past. This was also acknowledged by the Iranian leadership and officials. So far, our investigations and search have not given us any clues that those guards were present in Pakistani territory,” she explained.