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Iran Summons Pakistani Ambassador Over Acquittal of Assassins
Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Pakistani ambassador to Tehran Javid Hussein to protest the Pakistani Supreme Court's acquittal of eight suspects accused of assassinating an Iranian diplomat.
Mohammad Ali Rahimi, head of Iran's cultural office in the central Pakistani city of Multan, was murdered in March 1997 along with six local employees.
The Pakistani supreme court on Monday acquitted eight suspects who were previously sentenced to death by another court for involvement in the case.
Zargar Yaqubi, director general for western Asian affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, summoned Hussein, urging Islamabad to "seriously follow up the assassination case and punish those responsible," the official IRNA news agency reported.
He also called for removing obstacles in Tehran-Islamabad relations through punishment of the assassins of Iranian nationals in Pakistan.
The Pakistani ambassador said he would convey Iran's protest to his government, adding that the Pakistani government is seriously following up the case and the ruling of the Supreme Court is under examination.
About 10 other Iranian nationals were assassinated in Pakistan in the past decade, but none of the suspects have been punished, the report said.
The assassins were reportedly affiliated to Pakistan's militant Sunni Muslim groups that accuse Iran of supporting Shiite groups inside Pakistan. Iran denies the charge.
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