Pakistan to work with Iran on border issues: COAS

Published July 16, 2023
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir (L) and Chief of General Staff for the Armed Forces of Iran Mohammad Bagheri (R) meet in Tehran on Saturday. — Photo courtesy PTV News
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir (L) and Chief of General Staff for the Armed Forces of Iran Mohammad Bagheri (R) meet in Tehran on Saturday. — Photo courtesy PTV News

KARACHI: Chief of the Army Staff Gen Asim Munir met Iran’s top military leaders on Saturday to discuss bilateral matters relating to defence and security cooperation and stressed that Pakistan was ready to solidify the ties and use the most suitable solutions to address security challenges and the presence and activities of terrorist elements at the border.

Gen Munir, who reached Iran on a two-day visit on Saturday with a high-ranking military delegation, met Iran’s top general, Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, in Tehran and discussed ways to improve bilateral interactions “to develop the level of cooperation in different fields, including defence, security, military and training”, Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported.

During the exchange, Mr Bagheri highlighted the “historical background of the two neighbouring countries as a basis for the expansion of bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields”, the report said.

He stressed the importance of developing military relations between Tehran and Islamabad, calling for increased training interactions and joint defence and security relations between the two countries at the regional level.

On his arrival in Tehran, Gen Munir was received by Maj Gen Abdolrahim Mousavi, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Mehr said.

In the meeting, both sides discussed and examined avenues for an increase in bilateral interactions, strengthening of the security on shared borders and an increase in educational interactions and defence and security relations at the regional level.

‘Pakistan’s security our own security’

Gen Munir also met Major General Hossein Salami, the chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), who said Iran gave utmost importance to Pakistan’s security.

“We consider Pakistan’s security as our security and by expanding interactions, cooperation and joint actions, we will end the existence of terrorist groups and establish stable security in the shared border areas,” Gen Salami was quoted as saying by the Mehr News Agency.

The IRGC commander-in-chief said his forces were ready to turn the two countries’ borders into economic borders for economic and trade activities.

Gen Munir expressed his satisfaction with his visit to Iran and emphasised the importance of increasing defence and security interactions between the two countries.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Regional engagement
Updated 13 May, 2025

Regional engagement

If terrorist groups continue to find sanctuary in Afghanistan, regional integration and increased trade will be difficult to achieve.
Hostages to hostility
13 May, 2025

Hostages to hostility

AS people breathe a sigh of relief after being locked with India in a hair-trigger stand-off, there are those for...
Water crisis
13 May, 2025

Water crisis

IN large parts of Karachi, there is no water to be had. The taps have run dry for the past 12 days, bowsers have ...
The way forward
Updated 12 May, 2025

The way forward

An out-of-the-box solution acceptable to Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris is the only hope for long-term peace in South Asia.
AI opportunity
12 May, 2025

AI opportunity

TIME is running out. According to the latest Human Development Report, published by the UNDP this past Tuesday,...
Ace mountaineer
12 May, 2025

Ace mountaineer

NINE summits, five to go. Sajid Ali Sadpara’s quest to fulfil his late father’s dream and elevate Pakistan’s...