TEHRAN -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said it is essential to counter terrorism, and Iran and Pakistan should set a timetable to seriously deal with terrorists in the region.

“Iran and Pakistan enjoy brotherly relations, but the presence of terrorists in Pakistan cannot be justified. The Pakistani government should… arrest and punish the terrorists as soon as possible,” he said in a telephone conversation with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday.
Ahmadinejad made the remarks one day after a terrorist attack killed over 40 people, including five senior commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.
The Jundullah terrorist group, which is led by Abdolmalik Rigi, has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, which was carried out in the city of Pishin, near the border with Pakistan.
Jundullah is a Pakistan-based terrorist group comprised of some members of the Baluchi ethnic minority.
Ahmadinejad also expressed hope that the Pakistani people and government will defeat the terrorists operating in their country.
Zardari offered his condolences to the Iranian president and people for all those who lost their lives in the attack.
Terrorists have committed countless crimes against the people and government of Pakistan, and the Pakistani government recently launched a major military offensive against them, the Pakistani president added.
Pakistan’s army is engaged in heavy fighting against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in the South Waziristan region of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
Zardari also called for increased cooperation between Iran and Pakistan in the campaign against terrorism.
However, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Commander Major General Mohammad-Ali Jafari said on Monday that Iranian security officials have presented documents indicating Jundullah has direct ties with U.S., British, and “unfortunately” Pakistani intelligence organizations.
“Behind the scenes are the U.S. and British intelligence apparatuses, and there will have to be retaliatory measures to punish them,” Jafari added.
Dealing with certain Arab states’ support for terrorists is a priority
Dealing with certain Arab states’ support for terrorist groups in the region is a political and security priority for Iran, Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said here on Monday.
Jazayeri, who is the director of the Armed Forces Cultural Affairs Department, made the remarks one day after the Jundullah terrorist attack in Sistan-Baluchestan Province.
IRGC Ground Forces Deputy Commander Nour-Ali Shoushtari and Sistan-Baluchestan Province IRGC Commander Rajab-Ali Mohammadzadeh were among those who lost their lives in the attack.
Jazayeri urged Pakistani officials to show their goodwill and to make efforts to help Iran, saying Pakistan’s cooperation would definitely play an important role in the campaign against terrorism in the region.
He went on to say that Shoushtari was assassinated because he made the enemies of the country suffer greatly.
The Islamic establishment has tasked the IRGC with providing security in Sistan-Baluchestan Province, and the IRGC has been endeavoring to establish security in the region through cooperation with the people, local elders, and tribal leaders, and this is a fact the enemies cannot tolerate, he stated.
But unfortunately, every now and then, the enemies of Islam and the Islamic Republic seek to disrupt these efforts by resorting to criminal actions, Jazayeri added