No country should ever be allowed to violate the sanctity of any other country no matter how foolproof the information or how deadly the enemy may appear. So when Iran unprovokedly attacked the air space of Pakistan on Tuesday, to target alleged bases for a militant group in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan, it should have prepared itself for the accountability of acting like a transgressor. Might or convenience cannot be held right and therefore, Pakistan spoke from a high ground by issuing a strongly worded condemnation. Lodging a protest with Iran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also asked the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan to head back home. Clearly, Pakistan cannot open its house and diplomatic channels to those who treat its backyard as its sandbox.
The entire responsibility for this attack lies on the shoulders of the Iranian government, IRGC and Iranian intelligence. Thriving channels of intelligence and communication between the two countries could have easily been used to plan out an attack. However, sans any collaboration, the operation could easily be called a breach of international law and norms.
Because the jury is still out on the influence of Iranian intelligence over the Jaish-ul-Adl, an ongoing series of press releases also reek of some sinister play. Isn’t it downright ridiculous that accounts being attributed to the militant organisation issued explanations as to why missiles targetting them went off-coarse and hit Pakistani civilians instead? What remains to be seen is how Tehran would respond to the wave of anger sweeping across the length and breadth of the country as they demand an explanation of this ill-though-of exercise. Because we are neither Iran nor Yemen, such excursions won’t go unnoticed. Previous exchanges with Afghanistan and India are replete with examples of Pakistan’s determined resolve to protect itself when it comes to national standing and matters of paramount importance. *