Iran, Pakistan can resolve border issues: Pakistan official

A senior Pakistani official has hailed friendly relations with Iran, calling for more interaction between Tehran and Islamabad to help secure the borders of the two neighboring states.

Following a Monday meeting with Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Pacific Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour in Islamabad, Pakistani Interior Secretary Shahid Khan said recent issues in the border regions of the two countries can be resolved.

He pointed to Rahimpour’s visit to Islamabad and said the Iranian official and his Pakistani sides discussed ways to bolster bilateral interactions to help prevent incidents on the frontiers of the two neighbors.

Khan further praised Tehran-Islamabad relations as “very good,” saying the existing border issues could be settled through frequent negotiations between Iranian and Pakistani officials.

On Monday, Rahimpour paid an official one-day visit to Islamabad, where he exchanged views with high-ranking Pakistani officials over the issues of bilateral and regional significance.

The visit came days after Iran summoned Pakistani Ambassador to Tehran Noor Mohammad Jadmani over a series of terrorist incidents that killed several Iranian guards at the Pakistani border.

In the latest border clashes, two Iranian border police officers were killed and several others injured in an armed conflict with a group of bandits at Iran-Pakistan border on October 16.

Iran has repeatedly criticized its eastern neighbors for failing to rein in terrorists who cross the borders back into these countries after carrying out attacks on Iranian soil.