US CENTCOM commander meets COAS to discuss peace in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Commander of the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) General Joseph L. Votel, along with his delegation, met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday to discuss matters of professional interest with a special focus on the security situation in Afghanistan.

Also present at the meeting earlier today was David Hale, the US Ambassador to Pakistan.

The COAS talked about Pak-US relations and how important they are to the country, especially including the cooperative security efforts geared towards stability in the South Asian region.

Pakistan, the COAS added, has carried out operations against all types of terrorists. General Bajwa underlined once again his commitment to work closely with the security forces in Afghanistan and the US-led Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in order to enhance the security conditions along the Durand Line region.

With regard to Afghanistan and the Pak-US linkages, the COAS commented that "no other country has more interest for peace in Afghanistan than Pakistan".

General Bajwa further mentioned that against any financial or material assistance, Pakistan seeks "acknowledgement of our decades-long contributions towards regional peace and stability", the significance of its challenges, and notably, the nation's sacrifices in fighting "terrorism and militancy".