ISLAMABAD: A day after Islamabad formally sent a six-point ‘reference’ requesting Tehran to investigate and share details of the activities of Kulbhushan Jadhav & Co, Iranian ambassador in Islamabad called on Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan to assure his country’s full support in stemming incursion of Indian spies into Pakistani territory using Iranian soil.
“Government of Iran will extend full cooperation on all issues that ensure security and development in Pakistan,” Mehdi Honardoost told Nisar at a meeting at the Punjab House. However, in the same breath, the Iranian envoy expressed his serious reservations over what he called attempts by section of media to negatively impact relations between the two countries. “Certain attempts in sections of media to negatively impact relations between the two countries in spite of highly successful visit of President of Iran recently are just deplorable,” he said.
The interior minister said that media in Pakistan was independent of the government control but “that does not mean that we can allow anybody to affect our relations”. He said that all sections of Pakistani society are unanimous in their support for stronger Pak-Iran relations. On Thursday, Islamabad, in a letter issued by the signatures of Federal Interior Secretary Arif Ahmed Khan and addressed to Iranian Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost, asked Tehran to immediately arrest and hand over an individual identified as Rakesh, alias Rizwan, for interrogation; verify activities of Kulbhushan Jadhav along with records of visits to Iran; provide a record of his stay in Iran including cities visited and the duration of these visits; provide a record of people he interacted with and purpose of these interactions; share details of RAW networks on Iranian soil and share any other details related to the matter above.
The ambassador further said good relations between the two countries should result in tangible improvement in bilateral trade and development. “We have to remove hindrances in the way of further strengthening of our bilateral relations,” he said. Nisar said Pakistan and Iran were tied in decades long religious, social, cultural and political bonds and that nothing could come in the way of their brotherly relations. Expressing satisfaction over the recent visit of Iranian president to Pakistan, the minister said, “The momentum created by the recent high-level visit should be fully utilised for further deepening of bilateral relations in all possible areas. We need to build on the gains of the past and work hand in hand to overcome our shared challenges and achieve common objectives for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries.”
The interior minister said that Pak-Iran joint stance on various issues in the region and at international forums will deter their foes from any malice against the two countries. It was for the first time that Pakistan has arrested a serving officer of the Indian security forces working for RAW inside its territory. In past, Pakistan did arrest many an operative of the RAW but never ever a serving officer of the rank of a lieutenant colonel had been nabbed. Kulbhushan Yadav is said to be originally from Indian Navy where he served as a commissioned officer. He is claimed to have entered Pakistan via Iran and is also reportedly having a valid Iranian visa. In Pakistan, he operated under fake identities and is alleged to have been working with separatist and sectarian organisations in Balochistan.
The government has asked the neighbouring country to arrest and hand over Sub Inspector Rakesh alias Rizwan, who is known to be a key RAW operative assisting Kulbhushan Yadav. “Jadhav was covertly based in Chabahar, Iran, under the pretext of being a jeweller/businessman. He had an Iranian visa along with an Indian passport. He was assisted by RAW Sub Inspector Rakesh, alias Rizwan, a key operative who was also working undercover as a businessman dealing in jewellery. And he crossed over to Balochistan’s Mashkhel area from Saravan, Iran,” the letter written by the Interior Ministry to the Iranian embassy had maintained.