Russia, Iran, China, Pakistan spy chiefs meet

Islamabad, July 13: The Pakistan Foreign Office has expressed ignorance about a reported but unprecedented meeting of spy chiefs of Russia, Iran, China and Pakistan here over the growing threat to the region from the Islamic State in Afghanistan. Officials, however, privately confirmed to Dawn newspaper that the meeting took place on Tuesday, “which could besides dealing with IS provide a basis for greater regional cooperation for peace in Afghanistan”. The meeting, which was supposed to be secret, was first reported by Russian newswire TASS. The Voice of America (VoA) also carried a report on the meeting.

TASS quoted Russian Foreign Intelligence Service spokesman Sergei Ivanov as saying that heads of intelligence services of Russia, Iran, China and Pakistan met in Islamabad to discuss measures against of Islamic State terrorists returning from Iraq and Syria in Afghanistan. TASS said that the Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, represented Russia at the meeting. “The discussions focused on the dangers arising from a build-up of the Islamic State on Afghan territory,” Ivanov said. The meeting of the spymasters of the four countries took many, particularly the US, by surprise, the Dawn said. (IANS)