By Admin 
Iran-Pakistan Relations: A car workshop was attacked on the night of Saturday (April 12) in Mehrston district of Sistan-Balochistan province of Iran, in which 8 Pakistani nationals were shot with bullets. All of them belonged to Punjab and informally used to work to build a car. The Balochistan National Army (BNA) has taken responsibility for the attack. The organization has described it as a revenge against Punjabi dominance.
In January 2024, a similar attack took place in Sarwan city of Iran, in which 9 Pakistani laborers were killed. In recent years, such attacks have been continuously increasing, which are pushing the region towards instability. Balochistan National Army has been the biggest hand in these attacks. BNA is a separatist group, active in Baloch regions of both Iran and Pakistan. This organization claims to raise voice against Baloch resources and “exploitation” of Punjabi and outsiders on the ground. Despite the lack of international recognition, BNA has become a symbol of regional dissatisfaction. The organization says that they will not allow outsiders to exploit our land and resources.
Pakistan’s response
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif called the incident as “barbaric” and demanded strict action from Tehran. He instructed the Ministry of External Affairs to bring the bodies of the victims and help their families. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also said in a strict tone that this attack challenges our sovereignty. We cannot allow our citizens to be targeted abroad. Pakistan has demanded Iran to take strict action against terrorist organizations like BNA and immediately arrest the culprits. Iran’s Ambassador Reza Amiri Mogadam described the attack as inhuman and cowardly and expressed the need for regional cooperation. Even before this, Iran has been avoiding taking decisive action on such organizations.