Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A day after Iranian ambassador in Islamabad called on the interior minister to assure his country’s full support in stemming incursion of Indian spies into Pakistani territory using Iranian soil, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan maintained that Iran was not working hand in glove with Indian intelligence agency RAW to stoke instability in Pakistan.

“Iran has nothing to do with the activities of Indian intelligence network. Kite flying regarding arrest of Indian spy and his links with Iran must stop now,” he told reporters at a press conference here.

The minister said that an impression was being given in a section of media that Iran was involved in certain negative activities against Pakistan. He said some elements wanted to damage positive and historic brotherly relations and create misunderstandings between the two countries. Nisar said the matter of relations between the two countries must not be linked with arrest of the Indian spy. “I appeal to media not to create an impression as if Iran is facilitating RAW’s activities in Pakistan. Pakistan and Iran are tied in decades-long religious, social, cultural and political bonds and nothing can come in way of our relations,” he said. The minister mentioned his meeting with Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost, wherein, according to Nisar, the latter had complained about news proliferating in section of media portraying Iran in a very negative manner with reference to Indian spy’s arrest from Balochistan. “The ambassador showed me newspaper clippings of caricatures of Iranian supreme leader that poked fun at him as well as his country. He lamented that all this didn’t reflect that Pakistan and Iran were brotherly nations,” the minister said, quoting the Iranian ambassador. “Iran was insulted. The good feel factor between Iran and Pakistan after President Rouhani’s visit was damaged immensely.”

Nisar said Ambassador Honardoost had assured that his country will extend full cooperation on all issues concerning security and development in two countries. He urged the media to be very cautious while reporting on Pak-Iran brotherly relations.

The issue of arrest of RAW agent was taken up by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. “There is one concern that RAW is involved in Pakistan, especially in Balochistan, and sometimes also uses the soil of our brother country, Iran,” the army chief had told the visiting dignitary. “I request, they should be told to stop these activities and allow Pakistan to achieve stability,” the COAS had said, according to a release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) after their meeting.

However, President Hassan Rouhani at a press conference held later in the day had denied that the issue of Indian spy agency’s involvement in Pakistan was discussed during his meeting with the chief of army staff. “Whenever Iran comes closer to Pakistan, such rumours are spread,” he had said, in response to a question.