Tehran: A war-of-words has erupted between Iran and Pakistan over the recent series of violence in Parchinar region of Pakistan in which over 200 members of the minority Shia community have been killed and injured by the majority Sunnis.
Shia-dominated Iran has taken a serious note of the incidents in Parchinar and publicly condemned the “oppression” against the minority Muslim community in the Pakistani region.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Kanaani, in a statement, has said the targeted attacks on Shias has “revealed the criminal nature of the Takfiri groups (those Muslims who do not recognise other Muslims).”
He said the “hearts of all Muslims” have been saddened by the developments in Parchinar.
He said, “the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns all forms of extremism that target the unity of the Islamic world and the neighboring country of Pakistan, and emphasizes the need for the solidarity of all Islamic countries to effectively fight against Takfiri groups.”
The comments by Iran angered Pakistan, which asked the neighbouring nation to desist from making “unwarranted” statements.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, during her weekly press briefing today, said Iran’s comments were “unnecessary”.
“Pakistan is responsible for the protection of its citizens, and the Iranian statement on Parachinar is unwarranted, lacking a comprehensive understanding of the situation,” she remarked.
Mumtaz said that the Ministry of Interior is “actively working to address the security concerns in Parachinar” as “any loss of life is unacceptable”.
According to reports, members of Shia community have been deliberately targeted by extremist Sunni groups in Parchinar over some land dispute, resulting in the killing of at least 50 people and injuries to over 150.
The violence, described by some as ‘genocide’, continued for over a week and even the ‘jirgas’ (tribal leadership) could not stop it.
There was no effective action by the Pakistan government or the local administration to stop the violence, as a result of which the Shias in the region are said to be in a state of fear.
