Pakistan recalls ambassador from Iran over ‘violation of sovereignty’

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan on Wednesday recalled its ambassador from Tehran following Iranian airstrikes in southwestern Balochistan province.

“Last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch in a video statement.

“Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal act. The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran,” Baloch added.

"We have conveyed this message to the Iranian Government. We have also informed them that Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan who is currently visiting Iran may not return for the time being," she said.

Baloch added that Islamabad has also decided to suspend all high-level visits "which were ongoing or were planned between Pakistan and Iran in coming days."

On Tuesday night, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that two children were killed and three girls were injured in an alleged Iranian airstrike in the Panjgur district of Balochistan.

Earlier, Iranian state media made announcements about the airstrikes but reports on it soon disappeared.