The Foreign Office (FO) on Tuesday cautioned Tehran that a warning issued by the Iranian army chief a day earlier was against the "spirit of brotherly relations" between Pakistan and Iran.

Read more: Iran warns will hit 'militant safe havens' inside Pakistan

The FO summoned Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost to convey Pakistan's concerns regarding a warning issued by Maj Gen Mohammad Baqeri that Tehran would hit 'militant safe havens' inside Pakistan if the government did not confront militants who carried out cross-border attacks last month.

"We expect Pakistani officials to control the borders, arrest the terrorists and shut down their bases," Baqeri had said on Monday. "If the terrorist attacks continue, we will hit their safe havens and cells, wherever they are," he added.

During his meeting with the ambassador, FO Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria, highlighting an improvement in bilateral relations between the two countries, urged Iran to refrain from making statements that would harm relations, according to the statement.

Zakaria said an agreement had already been reached to "enhance cooperation on border issues" during the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on May 3.

Zarif in his visit had asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to improve border security, and Pakistan had assured Iran it would deploy additional troops along its border.

Opinion

Editorial

On press freedoms
Updated 03 May, 2026

On press freedoms

THE citizenry forgets, to its own peril, how important a free and independent media is in the preservation of their...
Inflation strain
03 May, 2026

Inflation strain

PAKISTAN’S return to double-digit inflation after 21 months signals renewed economic strain where external shocks...
Troubled waters
03 May, 2026

Troubled waters

PAKISTAN’S water crisis is often framed in terms of scarcity. Increasingly, it is also a crisis of contamination....
Iran stalemate
Updated 02 May, 2026

Iran stalemate

THE US and Iran are currently somewhere between war and peace. While a tenuous ceasefire — extended largely due to...
Tax shortfall
02 May, 2026

Tax shortfall

THE Rs684bn shortfall in tax collection during the first 10 months of the fiscal year is a continuation of a...
Teaching inclusion
02 May, 2026

Teaching inclusion

DISCRIMINATORY and exclusionary content in Punjab’s textbooks has been flagged in Inclusive Education for a United...