Not just India but even Iran, the western neighbour of the beleaguered nation of Pakistan, has forewarned it of reprisals against the terrorist organisations working from its soil. Citing Pakistan’s incompetence to deal with terror organisations operating out of their territory, Iran said they will act against them if Pakistan fails to rein in terror activities against it.
The commander of the IRGC Quds, General Qassem Soleimani, issued severe warnings to the Pakistani government and its military establishment. He said, “I want to ask Pakistani government, Where they are headed to? You have caused disruption along borders with all your neighbours and do you have any other neighbour left that you want to foment unrest for?” He further mocked the Pakistani government of being a nuclear power and still being unable to rein in terror groups working in their country.
The chairman of the Iranian parliament’s foreign policy commission Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh claimed that Iran wanted to build a wall on its border with Pakistan, and promised Tehran would not hesitate to initiate action inside Pakistan in order to eliminate militants hostile to Iran.
It is notable here that just a day before the Pulwama attack, 27 personnel of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards had been killed and 13 others were martyred when an explosive-laden car had rammed into a bus carrying the security personnel. This attack was very similar to the Pulwama attack that happened the next day, claiming the lives of 40 CRPF men.
Like India and Afghanistan, Iran too has been a victim of Pakistan sponsored cross-border terrorism. According to Iran, Pakistan houses and fosters terrorists that have been disrupting peace in Iran. The comments also come at a time when India and Pakistan are involved in a war-like situation after Pakistan based terror outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad attacked a CRPF convoy in Pulwama killing 40 CRPF personnel.
Pakistan’s other neighbour, Afghanistan, has echoed similar sentiments in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack. Strongly denunciating the attack, Afghanistan had said Pulwama attack is a copy-book case of Pakistan-backed terrorism in Afghanistan.
Pakistan also appears to be drawn into a perennial battle with the Baloch rebels for forcefully occupying Balochistan. A day back, the Baloch Republican Army has claimed they have destroyed three posts of the Pakistani Army. Pakistani forces have been alleged of incarcerating around 20,000 people including women and children illegally in the province, many of them raped and killed.
At a time when Pakistan is preoccupied in the conflict with India on its eastern border, such dire warning from its western neighbour may add to the growing pressure on it to act against the terror groups it had so assiduously cherished and fostered.
