CHIEF of Army Staff General Asim Munir’s visit to Iran where he held meetings with the Iranian leadership including President Ebrahim Raisi sent a loud and clear message that both the countries are united to fight the menace of terrorism. Recognizing terrorism as a common threat to the region in general and both countries in particular, they vowed to eradicate the menace in the border areas through intelligence sharing and effective actions against the terrorists’ networks and explore avenues of for enhancing cooperation in the security domain.
In recent years, terrorist attacks in Pakistan-Iran border areas have become quite frequent. Every now and then one keeps hearing the reports of casualties as a result of these attacks either on the Pakistani or the Iranian side. These attacks not only claim lives but also erode the trust and confidence, making it imperative to address the root causes and work towards long-term solutions. Trust serves as the bedrock for effective intelligence sharing. The commitment of Pakistan and Iran to collaborate in this area against terrorism is a commendable step to effectively deal with terrorists as well as drug and human traffickers. Coordinated military operations, border patrols and enhanced surveillance will play a vital role in disrupting the movements of these undesirable elements. The determination to explore avenues for enhanced cooperation in the security domain is also an encouraging sign. By conducting joint military exercises, sharing best practices and facilitating capacity building, both nations can strengthen their security apparatus. Training programs and exchange of expertise will improve the readiness and effectiveness of their respective forces, enabling them to tackle evolving security challenges with greater efficiency. In recent months, both the countries have signed some important agreements to enhance their cooperation in different fields. Establishment of border markets is a step forward to bolster the economic and trade relations. Whilst talking to COAS, the Iranian President articulated his country’s strategy of transforming security borders into safe economic borders and develop border markets and cooperation in the energy sector. Indeed this is the way forward to exploit the true potential of cooperation that exists between the two countries. Both sides must enhance the level of engagement at different levels to achieve this goal.
