Pakistan's Anger Over Deadly Attack by the Islamic Republic; Islamabad Summons Its Ambassador from Tehran

One day after the deadly missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic on the positions of the Jaish al-Adl group in Pakistani territory, Islamabad summoned its ambassador in Tehran. The spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday, January 17, that "Pakistan has recalled its ambassador from Iran, and the Iranian ambassador to Pakistan, who has traveled to Iran, is currently not allowed to return [to Pakistan]." He also announced Pakistan's decision to halt "all high-level visits that were ongoing or planned between Pakistan and Iran for the coming days." He deemed the attack a "clear and unjustified violation of Pakistan's sovereignty" and "unacceptable," stating, "Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal action." On Tuesday, January 16, Pakistan confirmed the news of the Islamic Republic's deadly attack on its territory, calling it a violation of its borders. Media close to the Revolutionary Guard reported that the Islamic Republic targeted the positions of the armed group "Jaish al-Adl" in Pakistan with "missiles and drones." The Pakistani government, in a statement issued hours after the attack, strongly condemned the Islamic Republic's attack on its territory, stating that "two innocent children" were killed and three girls were injured in this attack. Pakistan stated that the violation of its sovereignty could have "serious consequences," with Iran bearing responsibility for these consequences, and that this could damage "bilateral trust." Pakistan also mentioned that it had expressed its objections to the Iranian Foreign Ministry and summoned the Iranian chargé d'affaires in Pakistan. Pakistan is equipped with nuclear weapons and has been involved in terrorist attacks by Islamist insurgents. Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that "Jaish al-Adl" takes refuge in Pakistan and uses its territory to attack inside Iran. The U.S. State Department announced in 2019 that the group Jundallah, which has been on the list of terrorist organizations, remains on this list, and all new names and related names, including Jaish al-Adl, are added to the list of terrorist groups. The Islamic Republic's missile attack on Pakistani territory was reported on the same day that the Islamic Republic News Agency announced a joint naval exercise between the Iranian Navy and the Pakistani Navy in the Persian Gulf at the Strait of Hormuz and the meeting of Hossein Amir-Abdollahian with the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The attack inside Pakistan was reported hours after the Revolutionary Guard's attack on Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria. Reactions from Iraqi officials and people to the Revolutionary Guard's missile attacks on Erbil were reported. The Iraqi Prime Minister stated that the Islamic Republic attacks civilians.