ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran have agreed to initiate joint border management to effectively control cross-border movement of terrorists, criminals and illegal immigrants.

The agreement was reached at a meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar on Sunday.

Those involved in the heinous terrorist attack in the Sistan province of Iran were enemies of both countries and did not want relations between them to flourish, President Zardari said.

He said such incidents should not be allowed to cast a shadow on the friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran.

‘The whole region is facing the common enemy of militancy. Therefore, Pakistan and Iran should chalk out a joint strategy for mutual cooperation to curb violent extremism,’ presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar quoted Mr Zardari as saying.

The president offered condolences and sympathies to the government and people of Iran for the loss of lives in the Sistan-Baluchestan attack and said Pakistan would extend all possible cooperation in tracking down and punishing the terrorists behind the attack which was a crime against humanity.

He stressed the need for coordinated intelligence cooperation to thwart the efforts of elements who sought to create misgivings between the two countries.

He expressed the hope that bilateral projects would continue and would not be affected adversely by the incident.

He appreciated Iran’s contribution of $330 million at the Friends of Democratic Pakistan forum and said Pakistan highly valued its close brotherly ties with Iran.

Later, the Iranian minister returned to his country. He was seen off by Interior Minister Rehman Malik. Mr Malik assured the Iranian minister that Pakistan would not allow anybody to use its territory against any country.