Pakistan Army on Tuesday called on Iran to observe principles of “mutual respect, non-interference, and equality” in relations with Pakistan.

The Inter-Services Public Re­­­lations (ISPR) in a statem­ent on Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa’s conversation with Ira­n­ian Chief of Staff of Armed Forces Maj Gen Mohammad Baqeri said the Iranian commander was told that Pakistan desires “for regional peace and stability on basis of mutual res­pect, non-interference and equality”.

Gen Bajwa had called Gen Baqeri on Monday to seek action against Baloch separatists, who have allegedly taken up refuge on Iranian soil. The call was made against the backdrop of Friday attack on a Frontier Corps patrol in restive Balochistan in which six troops were martyred. The Baloch Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistani security agencies believe that over the past few years Iranian intelligence services have forged ties with Baloch separatists to counter Iranian militants, who are allegedly having sanctuaries in Pakistan. This has widened trust deficit between the two countries, making the ethnic Baloch insurgencies on both sides of the border murkier.

“Both commanders resolved to enhance security measures on either side of the border,” the ISPR said.

Pakistan and Iran have in the past agreed on a number of border mechanisms, which improved the border security situation, but occasionally incidents happen that further strain the relations between the uneasy neighbours.

Pakistan is erecting a border fence along the 909km border with Iran to check the movement of militants, smugglers, and other criminals. Last month, the Economic Coordi­nation Committee of the cabinet had allocated Rs3 billion for the construction of fence.

Gen Bajwa emphasised mutual cooperation for tackling cross-border terrorism.

“COAS said that Pakistan has started fencing the border but will require mutual bilateral cooperation to ensure border security and stem smuggling activity which is also used by terrorists and narco-traffickers for covering their movement,” the ISPR said.

The two generals also discussed Covid-19 and underscored the need for improving border terminals to deal with the pandemic.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said that Tehran, because of its crumbling health system, pushed nearly 5,000 Pakistanis across the border after the start of the epidemic in Iran.

Meanwhile, a coordination meeting between Pakistani and Afghan security and administrative officials at Torkham border on Tuesday decided to increase the number of trucks going to Afghanistan along with improving protective measures against Covid-19 at the border crossing.

Sector Commander Brig Shaukat Rana presided over the meeting, which was also attended by Deputy Commissioner Mehmud Aslam Wazir, Commandant Khyber Rifles Col Bilal, DPO Mohammad Iqbal and officials of customs and NLC and representatives of transporters.

The meeting directed the staff members of all the government departments at Torkham terminal to ensure improved protective measures against the coronavirus pandemic by disinfecting the terminal on weekly basis, preferably on Sundays.

Taking stock of the transporters’ repeated complaints about slow process of custom clearance of trade goods to Afghanistan, the meeting decided to increase the number of loaded vehicles from 100 to 150 on daily basis.

The DPO was directed to manage and supervise route of loaded trucks leading to Afghanistan via Peshawar-Torkham Highway. The transporters were directed to use Frontier Road instead of Karakhano Market Road to curtail traffic mess on the main road.

The meeting also decided to allow stranded Pakistanis in Afghanistan to come back and let the stranded Afghans in Pakistan to leave for their country simultaneously on every Saturday.

The meeting decided to immediately clear rubble accumulated on the road leading to the border crossing due to recent rains. The district administration was asked to repair the road between Nadra Chowk near border crossing to nearby Bacha Maina for smooth flow of heavy traffic.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2020

https://www.dawn.com/news/1556761/150-goods-trucks-allowed-to-enter-afghanistan-daily