Imran Khan Under Attack For Saying Terrorists Used Pak Soil Against Iran

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday came under attack by his country's opposition for acknowledging in Tehran that in the past terrorists had used his country's soil to carry out attacks in Iran.

Addressing a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the end of his two-day trip to Tehran, Mr Khan had said, "I know Iran has suffered from terrorism (perpetrated) by groups operating from Pakistan. We (need to) have trust in each other that both countries will not allow any terrorist activity from their soil. We hope this will build confidence between us".

During a discussion on Mr Khan's visit to Iran in National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khurrum Dastigir said, "Prime Minister's statement is against the national security as for the first time he has admitted the use of (the country's) soil for terrorism in Iran."

"No prime minister has ever made such a confession on foreign soil," Mr Dastagir said, adding that only a day earlier, "the foreign minister had stated that terrorists had entered from Iran to carry out activities in Balochistan."

"Pakistan is exposed internationally by such statements," the PML-N lawmaker said.

Mr Dastagir said that the prime minister has committed "diplomatic blunders" and "through his statements, he has hurt the national security".

Pakistan Peoples Party legislator and former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar said, "We are worried for the country after seeing it continually become a laughing stock".

She said that the prime minister had publicly spoken about the use of Pakistani territory against Iran in the past also, but others who had said much less severe things were ousted from the country and cases were filed against them and their right to be elected was taken away.

She also referred to another one of Mr Khan's statement in which he had said Japan and Germany share borders.

"You cannot make these stupid statements and expect us to stand behind you," Ms Khar said.

Defending Imran Khan, Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari said "he was quoted out of context" on his acknowledgement of use of Pakistani soil by terrorists against Iran.

On Mr Khan's statement about Japan and Germany sharing borders, Mazari said that it was "slip of tongue" when he said that Japan and Germany were neighbours and as he wanted to say France and Germany.

Later, the Opposition staged protest in front of the Speaker's chair demanding an explanation from Mr Khan in the floor of the House.