Pakistan will not allow terrorist attacks from its soil: Imran Khan

Addressing a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, he noted that that despite the presence of the NATO in Afghanistan not much has been achieved in fighting terrorist there while by now all Pakistani political groups have come to the conclusion that Pakistan should not allow militant groups to use their soil for terrorist attacks against other countries.

This is Imran Khan’s first official visit to Iran since last August when he took office. Several terrorist attacks on both sides of the border have marked his eight-month premiership. “The most important reason for my visit to Iran is terrorism,” he said, adding that a recent uptake in terrorist attacks had caused differences between Tehran and Islamabad. 

Gunmen killed 14 members of Pakistan's security forces last week in its own Balochistan province. 

“We know that Iran also suffers from terrorism and terrorist groups that use Pakistani soil for terrorist operations,” Imran Khan mentioned, saying he has brought along the country’s security chief to hold talks with Iranian authorities. 

A Pakistani-based terrorist group, called Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), claimed responsibility for an attack on a bus, carrying Iranian armed forces in the Sistan-Baluchistan Province, killing dozens of them in February. Iran calls the group Jaish al-Zolm (Army of Cruelty). 

Imran Khan emphasized that both Islamabad and Tehran should build mutual confidence and assure that terrorist groups won’t use their soil to launch terrorist attacks. “We need to build confidence and engage in cooperation in various fields,” he said. 

***Afghanistan 
The Pakistani Premier stressed that its north-western neighbour has been grappling with four decades of war and terrorism but that time is ripe for political dialogue there. “We are ready for any kind of cooperation with Iran to address the issue through dialogue, political and diplomatic channels,” Imran Khan said. “If there is peace in Afghanistan, there will be more trade and commerce as well,” he noted. 

***Kashmir 
The Pakistani head of government likened the situation in the disputed region with the situation in Palestine, criticizing the Indian forces for “pressuring and cracking down on the Kashmir people”. “There is no military solution for the situation in Kashmir. The situation in Kashmir is like the Palestinian issue”.

He went on to slam the recent Israeli moves such as recognizing the occupied Golan Heights as its part, or claiming Jerusalem (Quds) as Israeli capital. “These decisions violate the international norms and cause instability in the Middle East,” Imran Khan said.

Imran khan stressed that his country wants to use the Iranian expertise in healthcare, energy and technology in a bid to further develop bilateral ties.