Islamabad - US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale on Thursday called on Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ in Rawalpindi and exchanged views on bilateral issues and regional security.

According to the ISPR, during the meeting bilateral and regional security issues were discussed.

The meeting comes days after the US ambassador met with Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and reiterated that the US looks to Pakistan for a decisive action against “all terrorist groups operating from its soil.” “We seek a sustained and irreversible effort to achieve an aspiration and commitment made public by Pakistani officials, an end to the use of Pakistan’s soil for attacks on its neighbours,” he had said.

Setting aside the concerns of Pakistani officials, the US envoy had said that Washington saw India as “a leading global power and a strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region”. He added that the US was encouraging India and Pakistan to resume dialogue. On the occasion, Asif had said that Pakistan and the US had not been able to overcome their trust deficit despite recent high-level interactions.

“We haven’t as yet reached a complete understanding. There is still trust deficit,” the minister said while talking to reporters on the sidelines of a Pak-US Track-II meeting hosted by the Regional Peace Institute.

Meanwhile, Commander Royal Jordanian Air Force Maj-Gen Yousef Ahmed Al-Hanity also called on the army chief in Rawalpindi.

According to the ISPR, the commander appreciated Pakistan Army’s professionalism and achievements in the war against terrorism.

During the meeting, matters of mutual interest were also discussed.