Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian met his Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani in Islamabad on Monday, aiming to reduce tension after deadly retaliatory air strikes by Tehran and Islamabad this month killed at least 11 people and worsened relations between the neighbours.
Talks focused on respecting each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, expanding security co-operation, boosting trade and stepping up efforts to mend ties.
The visit by Mr Amirabdollahian comes at a time of heightened tension after a missile strike by Tehran on Pakistan was countered by Islamabad attacking terrorist hideouts in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province.
Pakistan recalled its ambassador to Iran and blocked his counterpart from returning to Islamabad.
Iran, Pakistan and other countries in the region have been going through a realignment phase since the withdrawal of the US-led forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, Jamil Ahmed, a professor at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Peshawar, told The National.
"Since the US withdrawal, the region has become volatile," Mr Ahmed said. “Pakistan must take action against the group creating trouble for Iran, while Iran must take action against the Baloch separatists hiding on the other side of the border. Otherwise, tension will increase further."
Mr Jilani, speaking at a joint press conference on Monday after the talks, said the neighbours were able to resolve misunderstandings fairly quickly.
The two countries also agreed to fight terrorism in their respective areas and allay each other's concerns, Mr Jilani said.
Mr Amirabdollahian said the two countries had a good understanding and there have never been territorial differences or wars between Iran and Pakistan.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi will soon visit Pakistan, he said.
"First there was escalation between the two countries, and now there is de-escalation as foreign ministers today are assuring co-operation," Mr Ahmed said.
"The next step could either be peace in case both countries fulfil each other's demands, or escalation may reach a point where two countries engage in war."
Meanwhile, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, Pakistan's ambassador to Iran, emphasised the importance of Mr Amirabdollahian's visit to Islamabad, saying the Pakistani government was interested in deep intelligence-sharing and security co-operation with Tehran.
Pakistan enjoys close, long-standing relations and historical co-operation with Iran, Mr Tipu said in an interview with news agency Irna.
The countries are well aware of the sensitivity of their relations, as well as the events unfolding across the region, he said.
The visit of the Iranian Foreign Minister to Pakistan would serve to highlight the violence committed by the Jaish-ul-Adl in Iran as well as the issue of Baloch separatists in Pakistan, said Sarfraz Khan, a former director of the Area Study Centre for China, Russia and Central Asia, in Peshawar.
"Pakistan and Iran have buried the hatchet at the moment with regard to the missile strikes and counterstrikes," he said. "However, the problem will linger if Pakistan fails to take action against Jaish-ul-Adl or if Iran fails to move against the Baloch separatists on its side of the border."
With agency reports
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Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Some of Darwish's last words
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His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
