Pakistan accuses Iran of border attacks in trilateral conference | World news

China, Iran and Pakistan postponed their first three counter-terrorism and regional security talks on Wednesday in Beijing but Islamabad accused Tehran of providing sanctuaries to insurgents for planning cross-border attacks in a bid to derail CPEC. back while Tehran accused Islamabad of not doing enough to prevent terrorists. from conducting border terrorism to Iran, Voice of America (VOA) reported.

Baluch rebels oppose CPEC, accusing it of aiding Pakistan’s efforts to deprive the local population of the region’s natural resources.

“The representatives held detailed discussions on the security situation in the region, especially the threat of terrorism that the region faces,” said the statement after the meeting in Islamabad, which did not share more details, Voice of America (VOA) reported.

The foreign ministries of Pakistan and China said that the three countries have decided to organize and hold the conference regularly, VOA reported.

Senior Chinese, Pakistani and Iranian counterterrorism officials, each from their respective foreign ministries, led their respective groups at Thursday’s discussion.

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Analysts say Pakistan’s southwestern province of Baluchistan is likely a key target. The natural resources-rich but poor region is central to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, VOA reported.

Baqir Sajjad, a Pakistani fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington noted “The establishment of a trilateral security mechanism between China, Pakistan and Iran reflects their shared concerns about security in Baluchistan.

Sajjad said that stability in Baluchistan is important to successfully implement CPEC projects there, VOA reported.

“Cooperation between these countries can have the potential to contribute to improved regional security and counter the activities of insurgents who seek refuge in Iran,” he said.

Baluchistan, a Pakistani province in Iran, has experienced a low-level backlash, led by legitimate Baluch ethnic groups.

Islamabad alleged that the insurgents used sanctuaries on Iranian soil to launch cross-border attacks in their bid to reverse CPEC, China’s global Belt and Road initiative. Iranian authorities deny the presence of Baluch fighters on their soil, VOA reported.

CPEC has built road networks and power facilities across Pakistan and to the Arabian Sea port of Gwadar in Baluchistan.

Baluch rebels oppose CPEC, accusing it of aiding Pakistan’s efforts to deprive the local population of the region’s natural resources. They have carried out deadly attacks against Chinese nationals working on projects in Baluchistan.

China and Pakistan reject charges as baseless and maintain the mega development project is bringing economic prosperity to the poverty-stricken region and Pakistan in general, VOA reported.

Baluchistan is in Iran’s southeastern part of the Sistan-Baluchistan region, where Iranian security forces are battling Sunni-based militants blamed for deadly attacks in the predominantly Shiite Muslim country.

Tehran says Islamabad is not doing enough to prevent terrorists from carrying out cross-border terrorism to Iran, allegations that Pakistani officials deny.

Last month, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif traveled to the nearly 900-kilometer border between the two countries, where they inaugurated a rare commodity bundle and a power transmission line.

While speaking at the ceremony, the two leaders vowed to expand the economy and border security, VOA reported.

China has also increased economic cooperation with Iran. The countries signed a 25-year strategic partnership agreement in March 2021. However, according to Iranian officials, the document does not contain specific commitments on investment or security.

Pakistan, Iran and China are also concerned about growing terrorist attacks in neighboring Afghanistan. The violence was mostly claimed by the Islamic State’s regional affiliate, Islamic State Khorasan, VOA reported.

The three countries have embarked on a diplomatic partnership with the country’s Taliban regime to help them counter the threat and bring economic stability to Afghanistan.