Pakistan respects sovereignty, territorial integrity of all states: President Alvi

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistani President Arif Alvi on Thursday said his country fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states and expects the same from other nations, as Islamabad conducted military strikes on "terrorist hideouts" inside Iran after a similar attack by the neighboring country.

Alvi lauded the country's armed forces for targeting “terrorist hideouts” while "avoiding civilian casualties."

“Pakistan would not compromise on its national security and territorial integrity and would take all necessary measures to defend its soil,” Alvi said.

He called terrorism a "common challenge that required global efforts for its elimination."

“Pakistan fully respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states and expected the same from other nations not to violate international law,” Alvi said, adding that Pakistan and Iran are "brotherly countries and they needed to resolve issues through dialogue and mutual consultation."

Pakistan said it undertook a series of "highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes" against “terrorist hideouts” in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, killing a number of terrorists.

The move came after Iran on Tuesday launched attacks in Pakistan targeting what it described as bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl in the border town of Panjgur in Balochistan, prompting strong condemnation from Islamabad. Pakistan also recalled its ambassador and suspended high-level visits with Tehran.