Pakistan recalls envoy from Iran, bars Iranian official from returning to post

Pakistan has recalled its ambassador from Iran, a foreign ministry spokesperson in Islamabad said on Wednesday. The Iranian ambassador to Pakistan who is visiting Iran will not be allowed to go back to his post, Reuters has reported.

The move comes after Pakistan reported that neighbouring Iran has violated its airspace resulting in the killing of two children, hours after Iranian state media said missiles targeted two bases of militant group Jaish Al-Adl on Tuesday.

“These bases were hit and destroyed by missiles and drones,” Iranian state media reported earlier, without elaborating. Iran’s Nournews, affiliated with the country’s top security body, said the bases attacked were in Pakistan’s Balochistan province.

Islamabad warned that the incident could have “serious consequences” and was “completely unacceptable” in a statement released by Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson in the early hours of Wednesday. Iran’s foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment.

Jaish Al-Adl has previously mounted attacks on Iranian security forces in the border area with Pakistan. Although Pakistan’s statement did not mention the location of the incident, nor the nature of the airspace violation, it said that it had lodged a protest with Tehran and the head of the Iranian mission in Islamabad had been called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran,” said the ministry. It added that the incident had occurred despite the existence of several channels of communication with Iran.

The Pakistani military’s public relations wing did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

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