Islamabad - Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has told the United States to destroy hideouts of militants in Afghanistan to stop terrorist attacks from that country to Pakistan.
This was stated by the army chief during a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry who visited General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. The COAS said the US should target militant hideouts in Afghanistan.
US Secretary of State John Kerry visited General Headquarters (GHQ) and discussed bilateral defence cooperation, regional security and war on terror with Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif.
During the meeting, the army chief apprised Kerry of the successes achieved in the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb against extremists in the North Waziristan Agency.
Earlier, Kerry laid floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada and paid tribute to the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan’s armed forces and its people in the war on terror.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and the United States reiterated their commitment to an enduring partnership for regional security and stability, said a joint statement issued on the conclusion of the two-day visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to Pakistan.
The two-day talks in Islamabad covered in-depth discussions with focus on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest, including fight against terrorism.
The statement said the two leaders reaffirmed the importance of the Pak-US Strategic Dialogue to provide vision and direction for a strong and cooperative partnership between the two countries.
Secretary Kerry expressed appreciation for the sacrifices of Pakistan’s military personnel and civilians in the fight against terrorism. He commended Pakistan’s resolve and the steps being taken to tackle terrorism in a comprehensive and robust manner. The two leaders expressed satisfaction that the working groups constituted under the rubric of the strategic dialogue were contributing to strengthening bilateral cooperation and advancing shared interests. Sartaj Aziz and Kerry reaffirmed their shared commitment for expanding and deepening bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation.
Both the sides acknowledged the importance of expanded trade and investment ties. Pakistan and the United States also underscored the importance of intensifying efforts to facilitate regional energy connectivity and continuing to upgrade Pakistan’s transmission infrastructure.
The two leaders discussed Pakistan’s continuing efforts to defeat terrorism. Secretary Kerry expressed support for Pakistan military’s ongoing operations in the tribal areas and the progress achieved so far.
The adviser shared his perspective on effective counterterrorism cooperation and stressed that there was no distinction between good and bad militants.
The US and Pakistan renewed their common resolve to promote peace, stability and transparency throughout the region and to eliminate the threats posed by extremism and terrorism. Secretary Kerry and the adviser noted that a peaceful, stable, independent, united and prosperous Afghanistan was vital for peace and stability in the region. Both the sides held that an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process was vital for achieving long-term peace, stability and progress in Afghanistan and the region.
The PM’s adviser and the US secretary of state stressed that improvement in Pakistan-India bilateral relations would greatly enhance prospects for lasting regional peace, stability, and prosperity as it would significantly benefit the lives of citizens on both sides of the border.