Top Iranian, Pakistani Military Commanders Call for Joint Military Task Force

The chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Army on Sunday called for the establishment of a joint military working group, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the top Iranian military commander, and Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the newly appointed highest-ranking Pakistani military chief, spoke on the phone. Bagheri noted the good relations and close security cooperation between the two countries, particularly along their common border, and said Iran’s armed forces were prepared to expedite the plan for a joint Iranian-Pakistani military task force. Shamshad Mirza said that accelerating the establishment of the joint military task force was a priority for Islamabad, as well, and described the countries’ common border as one of peace and friendship.

The border between Pakistan and Iran is approximately 565 miles long. It runs from the Arabian Sea in the south, through the provinces of Balochistan and Sistan and Baluchestan, and up to the tripoint with Afghanistan in the north. The border between the two countries was demarcated in the 1960s and has been largely peaceful since then. However, there have been tensions between the two countries over the disputed region of Balochistan, which is claimed by both countries. Baloch separatist groups have carried out attacks against government forces in both Pakistan and Iran.