Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi. PHOTO: FILE
The abduction caused a friction between the two countries, as the Iranian foreign ministry summoned the Pakistani envoy in Tehran to convey its concerns over the issue.
A statement issued by the Foreign Office said Foreign Minister Qureshi expressed his serious concern on the incident.
He briefed Mr Zarif about the active efforts launched by the Pakistan law enforcement agencies to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing Iranian guards, in coordination with the Iranian military and intelligence counterparts, the statement added.
It was noted that the two directors general (military operations) were in close contact through hotline to coordinate in the search and rescue efforts – including enhanced air surveillance and troops deployment in the border area where the incident took place.
Foreign Minister Qureshi said that such incidents were the “handiwork of our common enemies unhappy with the existing close, friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran”.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment of not allowing anyone to succeed in such malicious efforts, Qureshi noted that Pakistan and Iran have traditionally shared a ‘border of peace and friendship’ which would be maintained in the same spirit.
Thanking the foreign minister, Zarif underscored Iran’s desire to overcome all hurdles jointly with Pakistan in maintaining complete peace along the Pak-Iran border.
Meanwhile, the commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said the kidnapped Iranian security personnel were unconscious at the time, following reports that they had eaten drugged food.
Iran's Fars News agency also quoted Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari on Wednesday as saying that infiltrators had helped with the abduction of at least 10 staff to Pakistan on Tuesday.
Iran’s spy officers among 14 security personnel kidnapped on Pakistan border
Fars mentioned the reports of tainted food on Tuesday. An Iranian separatist group called Jaish al-Adl said on Tuesday it had seized the personnel, which included members of the Guards, at the Mirjaveh border post in Sistan-Baluchestan province.
Jafari said what he called "enemies" had tried unsuccessfully in the past to occupy Iranian turrets or border posts.
"This time they were able to carry out their operation by bringing in an infiltrating force," he said.
"They were sure that as long as the fighters and defenders are alert, they cannot achieve their goal, so they were able to kidnap these individuals by making them unconscious."
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif asked Pakistan to step up efforts to secure the border in the telephone call, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday, according to Fars.
"(Zarif) requested increased seriousness of the Pakistani security and border forces in protecting the security of the borders of the two neighboring Muslim countries," Bahram Qassemi said.
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