ISLAMABAD - Top military leadership on Tuesday resolved to continue efforts for ensuring internal peace and contributing towards peace in Afghanistan and the region.
This was concluded at the 206th Corps Commanders' Conference held in Rawalpindi with army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in the chair.
"The COAS [chief of army staff] took the forum on board about his military diplomacy through his recent visits abroad and interaction with foreign dignitaries visiting Pakistan," said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The meeting comes a day after the United States Defence Secretary and former general James Mattis, in his maiden visit to Pakistan, told the country's civil and military leadership that Islamabad needed to do more to combat militant networks allegedly operating on its soil.
A day before Mattis arrived in Islamabad; the Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo had warned Pakistan that if it did not eliminate the alleged safe havens inside its territory, the US would do everything they could to destroy them.
The army chief was also recently in Saudi Arabia as the first meeting of the defence ministers of countries part of the Saudi-led Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) was held last Sunday.
Last month, Gen Bajwa also visited Iran for detailed consultations.
The military's top brass in the meeting paid special attention to the impacts of the situation in Afghanistan on Pakistan as well as the region.
According to the ISPR, the forum also discussed regional and internal security situation with specific reference to Afghanistan.
The focus on Afghanistan comes days after a terror attack on the Agricultural Training Institute in Peshawar.
Initial investigation of the attack revealed that the terrorists had been in touch with their handlers in Afghanistan.
The ISPR said that the forum discussed regional and internal security situation with specific reference to Afghanistan.
Progress on Operation Raddul Fasaad, enhanced security measures along the Pak-Afghan border and recently initiated “Khushhal Balochistan” programme aimed at stability of Balochistan through socio-economic development and security was also deliberated upon.
US assured Pakistan no
military role of India in Afghanistan: Asif
Monitoring Desk adds: A day after US Secretary of Defence James Mattis’ meeting with the civil-military leadership, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan had been assured that there would be no military role of India in Afghanistan. In an interview with BBC, Asif said the government raised the matter of India’s future role under Trump administration’s new policy for Afghanistan and the region in front of US officials in Islamabad on Monday.
The minister said the United States had made Pakistan believe that there will be no military intervention by India in Afghanistan. Pakistan has repeatedly expressed its serious concerns regarding India’s role in Afghanistan to the US and Afghan leadership.
