Pakistan-based terror groups have created “difficulties” for normal Iran-Pakistan bilateral ties, Gholamreza Ansari, the Iranian Ambassador to India said on Thursday.
“We have tried to convince Pakistan to stop such activities that use Pakistani soil to target Iranian interests and we hope that Pakistan will reciprocate our requests,” Mr. Ansari said, referring to incidents on the Iran-Pakistan border that are often attributed to anti-Iran groups that operate from within Pakistani territories.
“We are trying to cooperate so that Pakistan can stop such groups,” he said.
Mr. Ansari’s comments hinting at Pakistan harbouring radical groups like the Jundollah came after a war of words between two sides.
Pakistan had accused Iran of hosting anti-Pakistan elements in the southeastern Iranian port of Chahbahar after a former Indian navy official was arrested in March in Balochistan. The former naval officer, named Kulbhushan Jadhav was accused of planning sabotage on Pakistan’s Gwadar port.
Mr. Ansari said that Iran was investigating the arrest of the official by Pakistani forces and would soon present the details of the case.
IPI gas pipelineCriticising ‘American hegemony’ in South Asia, Mr. Ansari said the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline was unrealistic as the United States would prevent its operationalisation.
“You can forget about the pipeline. The Americans will simply not allow this project to take off.”
