Ahmadinejad urges Zardari to confront Jundallah Group

Tehran (Iran), Oct. 19 (ANI): Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday urged Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to confront the Jundallah, a Sunni militant group which Tehran says was behind the bombing on Revolutionary Guard commanders in the southeastern part of his country on Sunday.

"Iran and Pakistan have a brotherly relationship, but the presence of terrorist elements in Pakistan is not justifiable," Ahmadinejad told Zardari during a telephone call received from Zardari, Iran's official IRNA news agency said.

"The Pakistani government should help to quickly arrest these criminals so they can be punished," Ahmadinejad said, adding: "The criminal terrorists must be seriously confronted by setting up a bilateral timetable."

IRNA said Zardari expressed his condolences and agreed on setting up a timetable to confront the militant group, Jundallah (Soldiers of God).

Iranian officials have accused Pakistan, Britain and the United States of aiding the group, alleged to be behind Sunday's suicide bombing in the town of Pisheen in Sistan-Balochistan province.

Hours after the attack Ahmadinejad alleged the assault was plotted in Pakistan, which borders the restive province, a flashpoint of Sunni insurgency.

The head of the Guards, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said on Monday that Tehran will demand that Pakistan hand over Jundallah leader Abdolmalek Rigi, who is accused of being the mastermind of the bombing.

A foreign news agency quoted Jafari as saying that a Tehran delegation will head to Pakistan to deliver 'proof to them so they know that the Islamic Republic is aware of its (Pakistan's) support' to the group led by Rigi. (ANI)