Families of Iran's terror victims call on Pakistan to act against militants

TEHRAN — Families representing Iran's 23,000 victims of terrorism have sent an open letter to the government of Pakistan urging decisive action against terrorist groups operating along the southeastern border, following a recent escalation of attacks in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. The letter, issued Tuesday by the Habilian Foundation, which represents families of terror victims in Iran, specifically names the Takfiri group Jaish al-Adl, now operating under the title People's Strugglers Front. It accuses the group of exploiting border conditions to move freely into Pakistan, reside and find shelter in some areas. Such a sustained pattern, the families wrote, could not occur without the knowledge of some local and central officials in Pakistan, citing Pakistani media reports and interviews with members of the groups. The letter frames the issue not only as political and human rights concern but as a matter of legal obligations. It cites the Island of Palmas arbitration of 1928 and the International Court of Justice ruling in the Corfu Channel case of 1949 on the duty of states not to knowingly allow their territory to be used against the rights of other states. It also invokes U.N. Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001), adopted under Chapter VII and binding on all members under Article 25 of the U.N. Charter, which requires states to refrain from supporting terrorists, deny them safe haven, prevent use of territory against other states, bring perpetrators to justice and ensure effective border controls, as well as to exchange operational information and cooperate bilaterally. It further cites Resolution 1566 (2004) on full cooperation with victim states and the principle of extradite or prosecute. The families also refer to the General Assembly's 1970 Friendly Relations Declaration, its 1994 Declaration on Measures to Eliminate Terrorism and its 2006 Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, while distinguishing those instruments from binding Council decisions. On bilateral frameworks, the letter cites the 1960 Iran-Pakistan border administration agreement, the 1960 extradition treaty noted in the April 24, 2024 joint statement, and that statement's pledges on cooperation against terrorism, hostage-taking and kidnapping. The families, acknowledging these are duties of due diligence rather than absolute guarantees, say the continued, open movement of militants is incompatible with any reasonable standard of care. They call on Islamabad to dismantle safe havens, secure the border, share intelligence, prosecute or, where treaty conditions are met, extradite suspects, establish a joint security and judicial mechanism, issue a formal written response, and create a permanent channel to receive documents from victims' families and inform them of proceedings. The letter stresses that Iran-Pakistan ties have been uniquely fraternal since Pakistan's independence and warns that terrorists seek to undermine that bond.