Vital cooperation: Can Pakistan and Iran deter ISIS threat?

by Tauqeer Abbas
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Islamabad and Tehran Wednesday called for fighting the common threat posed by Daesh – ISIS, terming it not only a grave threat to the stability of the Muslim countries, but also for giving a bad name to Islam. The commonality of views emerged at meetings of the Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Nasir Khan Janjua with his Iranian counterpart and senior Iranian officials during his three-day visit to the neighbouring country. “Both sides emphasized the need for unity of the Muslim Ummah and called for early resolution of differences between them through peaceful means, in the larger interest of the Ummah, particularly during these challenging times,” a Joint Statement issued here from the office of the National Security Advisor said. “In this regard they referred to the need for fighting against the common threat posed by Daesh/ISIS, which was not only posing a grave threat to the stability of the Muslim countries but also giving a bad name to Islam – a religion of peace.” The three-day visit of Pakistan’s NSA to Tehran on the invitation of his Iranian counterpart and his meetings with the Iranian interior minister, adviser to the Supreme Leader on international affairs and head of the General Staff of the armed forces, and the content of the joint statement issued on the conclusion of the visit reflect a new-found seriousness with which the two neighbours appear to be viewing the various threats that confront them. Both Pakistan and Iran are attractive targets for the IS whose presence at this stage in the region may be only rudimentary but whose ability to inspire lone-wolf attacks cannot be discounted and if not checked at this stage, its influence is likely to spread rapidly, courtesy the internet and social media. To mount a successful operation against these threats, the two neighbours should, as a first step, increase their respective internal vigilance efforts, especially through their intelligence networks and closely share information and cooperate in strict border management. The two should also strive to bring Afghanistan into the loop as the recent attack in Kabul claimed by the IS seems to have served a dire notice on the war-ravaged country as well.

pk.shafaqna.com

 

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