BEIJING: Iran’s use of drones and missiles to strike targets of the “terrorist organization has caused casualties of Pakistani civilians, which is a clear violation of the territory and airspace of a sovereign country and seriously violates the principles of the United Nations Charter, Cheng Xizhong, Professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law said on Thursday.
“To this end, Pakistan has responded strongly and conducted precise military strikes on terrorist hideouts within Iran using drones and missiles,” he said in an article published by Asia Pacific Daily. He opined that in fact, in recent years, Iran and Pakistan had been committed to developing cooperation in various fields, including defence and security.
“The cross-border anti-terrorism incidents implemented by the two countries will inevitably affect the development process of their cooperation. If not handled properly, it may even affect regional peace and stability,” he added. Prof Cheng said,”Both Pakistan and Iran are Islamic powers in the region.
At this time, both sides should remain calm and restrained, avoid taking further actions that may escalate tensions, and jointly maintain regional peace and stability.” In addition, he said, “since terrorist organizations use the opposite side of the border as their hiding place, it may be beneficial for both countries to have in-depth discussions and close cooperation on joint anti-terrorism operations and cross-border counter-terrorism operations, which will be beneficial for both countries to achieve substantial results in counter-terrorism”.
