Following the escalation of activities by terrorist groups in the southeast of the country, the families of the nation's terror martyrs sent an open letter to the Pakistani government demanding the necessity of serious and decisive action against these terrorist groups. The full text of the letter is as follows:
The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Greetings,
We, the families of the victims and martyrs of terror in Iran, express our deep concern regarding the recent terrorist and violent acts committed by Takfiri terrorist groups in the southeastern regions of Iran, including the group known as "Jaish al-Adl" (operating under its new name, the "People’s Fighters Front"). We consider Islamabad's failure to confront these groups and their elements as one of the primary factors contributing to the violation of our citizens' rights in Sistan and Baluchestan province, the destabilization of this region, and its subsequent consequences.
Terrorist elements exploit the current conditions at the borders to easily travel into Pakistan, and in certain areas, they settle and seek refuge. This continuous and long-term pattern could not occur without the knowledge of some local and central authorities in Pakistan. Reports from Pakistani media and interviews with elements of these terrorist groups corroborate this point.
We draw the attention of the Pakistani government to the fact that what has happened and continues to recur is not merely a political or human rights issue raised by the families of terror victims in Iran. Rather, beyond political and human rights considerations, a set of legal obligations and frameworks for international cooperation are also at stake and must be taken into account.
1. Territorial sovereignty entails responsibilities as well as rights. The Island of Palmas arbitral award (1928) explicitly stated that territorial sovereignty involves the obligation to protect the rights of other states within one's territory, particularly their right to integrity and inviolability. Furthermore, in the Corfu Channel case (1949), the International Court of Justice recognized the obligation of every state not to knowingly allow its territory to be used for acts contrary to the rights of other states as a general and well-recognized principle of law.
2. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) was adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter and, in accordance with Article 25 of the Charter, is binding on all member states, including Pakistan. Paragraph 2 of this resolution obligates all states to:
• Refrain from providing any form of active or passive support to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts (Paragraph 2-a).
• Deny safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts (Paragraph 2-c).
• Prevent those who finance, plan, facilitate, or commit terrorist acts from using their respective territories for those purposes against other states or their citizens (Paragraph 2-d).
• Ensure that any person who participates in the financing, planning, preparation, or perpetration of terrorist acts, or in supporting terrorist acts, is brought to justice (Paragraph 2-e).
• Prevent the movement of terrorists or terrorist groups through effective border controls (Paragraph 2-g).
Paragraph 3 of the same resolution also calls upon states to exchange operational information regarding the actions or movements of terrorist persons or networks (Paragraph 3-a) and to cooperate through bilateral and multilateral arrangements (Paragraph 3-c). Additionally, Resolution 1566 (2004) calls on states to cooperate fully, especially with those countries that are victims of terrorist acts, and to implement the principle of "extradite or prosecute".
3. The UN General Assembly's Declaration on Friendly Relations (Resolution 2625, 1970) partly prohibits states from organizing, assisting, fomenting, financing, inciting, or tolerating subversive, terrorist, or armed activities directed toward the violent overthrow of the regime of another state. General Assembly Resolution 49/60 (1994, Section II, Paragraph 5-a) also calls on states to refrain from organizing, instigating, facilitating, financing, encouraging, or tolerating terrorist activities, and to take appropriate practical measures to ensure that their territories are not used for terrorist installations or training camps, or for the preparation or organization of terrorist acts intended to be committed against other states or their citizens. The Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (Resolution 60/288, 2006, Section II) similarly emphasizes the adoption of preventive measures. These documents must be distinguished from treaties and binding Security Council decisions; the legal obligation in each case must be evaluated based on the applicable legal source.
4. Article 40 of the Constitution of Pakistan establishes that it is a principle of state policy to endeavor to preserve and strengthen fraternal relations among Muslim countries, and to promote goodwill and friendly relations among all nations. Pakistan’s National Action Plan of 2014 also explicitly states that militant groups and armed gangs will not be allowed to operate in the country. These documents are part of Pakistan’s domestic framework and should not be presented as a bilateral treaty.
5. According to the Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, adopted by the International Law Commission in 2001, state responsibility arises when conduct consisting of an action or omission is attributable to the state under international law and constitutes a breach of an international obligation binding upon that state (Articles 1 and 2). Upon the establishment of responsibility, the responsible state must cease the continuing wrongful act, offer appropriate assurances and guarantees of non-repetition if circumstances require (Article 30), and make full reparation for the injury caused (Article 31). These articles are not in themselves a binding treaty.
6. In addition to multilateral obligations, the two countries also have bilateral frameworks for border and judicial cooperation: the Iran-Pakistan Border Administration Agreement of 1960, which the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs identified as part of the existing border cooperation frameworks in the High Border Commission statements in 2017 and 2019; and the "Treaty on the Extradition of Criminals and Accused Persons between Iran and Pakistan," which the joint statement of April 24, 2024, references, noting its ratification in 1960.
Furthermore, in the joint statement of April 24, 2024, the two governments emphasized regular cooperation and consultation among political, military, and security officials of both countries to combat threats such as terrorism, hostage-taking, and kidnapping (Paragraph 5), recognized terrorism as a shared threat while stressing the utilization of existing bilateral mechanisms (Paragraph 11), and reaffirmed extradition based on the treaty (Paragraph 20).
We recognize that these commitments are obligations of due diligence and involve actions commensurate with the state’s capabilities and resources, rather than obligations of absolute result. However, the continuation of a pattern in which terrorist elements constantly and openly commute from and reside within Pakistani territory is incompatible with any reasonable standard of due diligence.
Based on this, the families of the 23,000 Iranian terror victims expect the Government of Pakistan to:
1. Prevent the residence, organization, and activity of these groups' elements within its territory and dismantle their safe havens.
2. Establish effective border controls and exchange operational information related to the movements of these groups with the Iranian government.
3. Effectively prosecute the perpetrators and supporters of these acts under its jurisdiction, in accordance with international obligations and applicable laws, or extradite them to Iran if the conditions set forth in the extradition treaty are met.
4. Establish a joint security and judicial mechanism with Iran.
5. Provide an official, written response to this letter.
6. Given the direct impact of terrorist acts on the victims' families, establish a formal and continuous mechanism to receive documents and information provided by the families of Iran's terror martyrs, provide updates on the processing of related cases, and facilitate the pursuit of these demands.
The relations between the two countries and nations of Iran and Pakistan have always been based on affection and brotherhood since the independence of this Muslim nation. Among all the countries and nations neighboring Iran, these relations are considered among the most unique. However, terrorists and their backers, through their violent and destabilizing actions, aim to destroy the bonds between the two nations alongside their other objectives. Under such circumstances, the expectation of the Iranian nation, and especially the extended families of the 23,000 terror martyrs, is that Pakistan's political and military authorities will honor these relations and prevent them from being undermined.
Respectfully,
Habilian Association
(Iranian Families of Terrorism Victims)
October 14, 2026