ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Afghanistan yesterday established a hotline between director generals of military operations (DGMOs) to enhance military to military relations between the two countries aimed at stepping up their fight against terrorism, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
ISPR Director General Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa said on Twitter that the direct line between the military commanders of the two countries was agreed during a visit to Kabul Sunday by Army Chief General Raheel Sharif.
The statement said that DGMOs of the two countries made their first contact on Wednesday and discussed military to military issues, modalities, schedules of meetings of their corps commanders. They also discussed measures to enhance coordination along the Pak-Afghan border.
The Pakistan army chief’s visit to Kabul follows talks between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over recent weeks that sought to pave the way for an Islamabad-brokered peace process between Taliban and Afghan government.
AFP adds: Afghanistan sees Pakistan’s support as vital to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.
Pakistan hosted a milestone first round of talks in July but the negotiations stalled when the Taliban belatedly confirmed the death of longtime leader Mullah Omar.
Ghani has recently pushed to strengthen ties with Pakistan - the Taliban’s historic backers - in a desperate bid to restart the talks as the insurgency expands.
Afghan forces are currently battling to push out Taliban insurgents who seized large swathes of the key opium-rich district of Sangin in southern Helmand province.
Observers say the intensifying insurgency highlights a push by the militants to seize more territory in a bid to wrangle greater concessions during talks.