ISLAMABAD — Pakistan and Iran have agreed to “de-escalate” tensions after an exchange of missile and drone attacks this week raised fears of further instability in the region, Islamabad said.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and the foreign minister of Iran, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, spoke via phone on Friday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The two foreign ministers agreed that working level cooperation and close coordination on counter terrorism and other aspects of mutual concern should be strengthened. They also agreed to de-escalate the situation,” the statement read.
“The return of ambassadors of the two countries to their respective capitals was also discussed,” it added.
On Tuesday night, Iran carried out a missile and drone attack against the armed group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s southwestern border province of Balochistan. Pakistan in turn struck armed-group targets inside Iran on Thursday.
On Friday, Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar convened a meeting of the National Security Committee, with all military services chiefs in attendance, to discuss the current crisis.
The national security review concluded that “the two countries would mutually be able to overcome minor irritants through dialogue and diplomacy and pave the way to further deepen their historic relations”, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
It also resolved that any attempts to breach the territory of Pakistan “will be responded with full might of the state”.
It urged Iran to use existing communication channels to address security concerns.
Kakar also told a cabinet meeting following the security huddle that it was in the “interest of both countries” to return to relations as they stood before Iran’s strikes, another statement said.
Sources told that the cabinet had decided to end a standoff and also endorsed a move to re-establish full diplomatic relations with Iran. — (Al Jazeera)