ISLAMABAD: Speaking at an event held by Institute of Regional Studies Islamabad, renowned counterterrorism expert at S. Rajaratnam Institute of InternationalStudies (RSIS) Singapore, Abdul Basit, emphasized that counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan remains a top priority for Iran.
Since Iran and Pakistan shared a fragile border vulnerable to violent attacks by armed non-state actors therefore border security was a mutual concern Senior Fellow Abdul Basit underlined that the persistence of militant activities across Pak-Iran border necessitated a well-coordinated strategy to enhance security and curb insurgent movements.
The visit of late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Pakistan led to an increased focus on security coordination and intelligence sharing but the region’s volatility was further heightened by the presence of terrorist groups like ISKP which had carried out attacks in both countries.
Speaking on the occasion, President IRS, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, traced the history of counter terrorism cooperation between Pakistan and Iran, noting that the presence of terror groups like TTP alongside Pak-Iran border posed a serious threat to both the countries.
To overcome these security challenges, Pakistan and Iran had deployed liaison officers at the border for enhanced coordination.
Amb. Jauhar also pointed out that regional frameworks such as SCO with its security arm of Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) could help in addressing the issue of terrorism not only for Pakistan and Iran, but also the entire region.
Towards this end, both the countries needed to work for a regional approach to address terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
