TEHRAN, May 10, YJC - Iranian Ambassador to Islamabad Mehdi Honardoust called on Pakistan to have a stronger presence in border.
![Iran envoy calls for Pakistan’s stronger presence in border Iran envoy calls for Pakistan’s stronger presence in border](/files/en/news/2017/5/10/34473_250.jpg)
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - "The long 960 kilometer border in land as well as border developments and incidents necessitate establishing a direct contact line between the two countries (Iran and Pakistan) as soon as possible,” he said.
He also said Tehran-Islamabad commercial exchanges grew by 30 percent , reaching over $1 billion.
"Hopefully, given agreement of the two sides to establish banking ties with the aim of increasing banking transactions to $5 billion, we will be able to take longer steps,” he added.
On April 26, 11 Iranian border guards were killed and three others injured in clashes near Mirjaveh in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan-and-Baluchestan. The so-called Jaish ul-Adl terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack, which was launched from the Pakistani soil. The assailants escaped into Pakistani territory immediately after the attack.