Pakistan: Top military and civilian leaders in Pakistan are set to review national security measures in light of the ongoing standoff with Iran. The missile strikes between the two neighbours have stoked fears of additional instability in the region.
The meeting was called by acting Prime Minister Mr. Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday, one day after the nuclear-armed country attacked the bases of armed groups in the Sistan-Baluchestan province of Iran, killing at least nine people.
Following Iran’s airstrikes against the militant group Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s southwest border province of Balochistan, which claimed two lives, Pakistan launched a retaliatory strike. After the attack, Mr. Kakar cancelled his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7, the tit-for-tat strikes have been the biggest cross-border incursions in recent memory and have sparked concerns about increased instability in the Middle East.
But Iran and Pakistan have both expressed a wish to defuse the situation. Iran’s foreign ministry stated on Thursday that it was dedicated to having cordial relations with Pakistan as a neighbour, but it also urged Islamabad to stop the construction of “terrorist bases” within its borders.
The foreign ministry of Pakistan released a statement that was similar, stating that the “sole” motivation behind the retaliatory attacks was “the pursuit of Pakistan’s own security and national interest, which is paramount and cannot be compromised.” China, a close ally of Iran and Pakistan, expressed a willingness to mediate.
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