A day after Pakistan and Iran formally restored diplomatic relations after a brief schism, at least nine Pakistani people were killed and three injured in a shooting incident near the Pakistani border in Iran.
According to Iranian media, nine "foreigners" were killed in an armed attack in the country's southeastern area, close to the Pakistan border. The report also said that "no group has claimed responsibility" for the incident.
According to their family, two of the fatalities, who have been named thus far, were workers from Pakistan's Lodhran region, while five, including two brothers, were from Tehsil Alipur in Punjab's District Muzaffargarh.
"Zubair and his nephew had gone to Iran for labor," the family said. They worked at an auto-repair shop in Iran.
Meanwhile, the families from Alipur contacted the Tehsil's assistant commissioner, requesting assistance in exchange for the victims' bodies.
According to media accounts, the event occurred in the early hours of Saturday, at 2:30 am.
The regrettable occurrence came as a shock to neighboring countries' efforts to rebuild bilateral ties following a brief but intense bout of cross-border hostilities sparked by Iran's surprise strike on a 'terrorist cell' within Pakistan.
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani expressed grief over the gun attack on Pakistani people in Iran, which he described as a "plot to sever Pakistan-Iran ties."
He urged the Iranian authorities to take action against those responsible for the incident. He also expressed sympathy to the victims' families.
In reaction to questions from the media about terrorist attack killing Pakistani nationals in Iran, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch condemned the "horrifying and despicable incident."
She stated that the FO has spoken with Iranian officials and emphasized the importance of promptly investigating the incident and holding those responsible accountable.
Baloch stated that the embassy will make every effort to repatriate bodies as soon as possible. "Such cowardly attacks cannot deter Pakistan from its determination to fight terrorism," she added.