Iran's missile strikes against hideouts of Jaish al-Adl in Panjgur were due to Pakistan's Sunni Salafist militant group's close association with Israel's spy agency Mossad, an international relations expert has said.
The comments of Anant Mishra, who is a visiting fellow at the University of South Wales' International Centre for Policing and Security came hours after Pakistan responded angrily to Iran's military action in Balochistan.
Pakistan Expels Iranian Ambassador, Recalls Envoy From Tehran
"This violation of Pakistan's sovereignty is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences," the South Asian nation's ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
Subsequently, Islamabad expelled the Iranian ambassador and recalled its envoy from Tehran.
"Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan, who is currently visiting Iran, may not return for the time being," Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, a spokeswoman of the country's Foreign Ministry said in a press conference in Islamabad.
It is worth noting that Tehran launched strikes inside the borders of its Islamic neighbor at the same time when its Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was meeting Pakistan's interim Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
In this light, Mishra opined that Iranian missile strikes against Jaish al-Adl do not in any way reflect that Tehran is ready for a full-scale war.
He was referring to Iranian action against Israeli, and American targets in Iraq and Syria a day earlier.
Militant Group Allied With Israel, and Backed Secessionist Movement in Sistan
"As far as I am concerned, it was an isolated strike in Balochistan against a Pakistani terrorist group which has been fighting Iranian security forces for the creation of an independent state carved out of Iran's Sistan province bordering Pakistan," Mishra told Sputnik India on Wednesday.
"The common factor in Iran's operation against Jaish al-Adl and its missile strikes in Iraq and Syria a day earlier is the terrorist outfit's close association with Israeli spy agency Mossad as the group which was formerly known as Jundallah is supported by the Jewish state's intelligence agency," the strategic affairs pundit added.
Furthermore, Mishra stated that Pakistan was keeping Sunni Salafist groups like Jaish al-Adl alive for its own benefit. After all, one must not forget that Iran is a Shia-majority state while Pakistan follows Sunni rituals and beliefs.
Pakistan army troops
© AP Photo / SHAKIL ADIL
Islamabad's Chequered History of Abetting Terror
Besides, Pakistan has a chequered history of backing terrorist groups as it was the nation that gave sanctuary to Osama Bin Laden and it is pretty clear that Islamabad has been abetting Islamist Sunni terrorism, including in Iran, the geopolitics analyst asserted.
Mishra underlined that the bigger message in Iran's strikes in Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan was that "we will strike wherever our interests will be hurt".
Pakistan's Military Posture Towards Iran Set to Witness a Change
On the other hand, Mahir Ahmad Butt, who is an associate researcher at Pakistani think tank, Global Defense Insight dismissed criticism of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) following the Iranian action.
The PAF was slammed by both the Pakistani netizens and social media users from India, with some of them describing it as "incompetent" to safeguard the nation from such activities of foreign states.
"It would be inaccurate to say that Pakistan Air Force was caught off guard by the recent Iranian activity, as its response posture is based on the perceived threat level, which is influenced by intelligence reports, border activity, and diplomatic relations," Butt said in a conversation with Sputnik India.
Historically, he suggested, the threat of kinetic action from Iran has been considered low, leading to minimal ground-based air defense coverage along the western border. However, this may change in light of recent events.
How India Should Respond to the Developments?
Meanwhile, Mishra also spoke about how India should respond to these developments.
More than that, he doesn't think that India has been vastly affected by the conflict in the region, barring the rise in transport costs for its energy imports.
"While Houthis have targeted us, the Indian Navy did carry out a rescue mission when there was a hostage situation in the Arabian Sea. So our Navy is aptly capable of diffusing any crisis that could come its way in ocean waters and that's why I don't see this situation hurting India strategically," Mishra summed up.