MNA – Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said talks were held with Pakistani officials on strengthening the presence of the two sides’ forces on shared borders following the recent abduction case of Iranian border guards by a terror group.

Speaking to ICANA on Monday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Iranian embassy in Islamabad, the Pakistani embassy in Tehran, as well as Iranian defense and interior ministers are following up on the case of the abducted Iranian border guards in earnest.

12 Iranian border guards were abdcuted by a terrorist group on October 16 and then taken across the border into Pakistan.

Zarif said Pakistani government has vowed to cooperate with Iran in locating the abducted border guards, adding that Pakistan is responsible for the occurrence of such an incident, and the holding of the abductees on Pakistani soil.

“Together with [Chief of General Staff of Iranian Armed Force] Maj. Gen. Bagheri and other officials, we held talks with Pakistani authorities, calling on them to increase the number of their forces on shared borders with Iran,” said Zarif, stressing that Iran already has a strong military presence on shared borders with Pakistan.

“It seems like their shared borders with Afghanistan and India hold more significance for them [Pakistan] than their shared borders with Iran,” said Zarif, adding “at any rate, they have promised us to increase their forces under suitable conditions, although the presence of their forces on some parts of their borders have already increased after that incident.”