Washington: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has called Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to convey Washington’s interest in continuing to improve US-Pakistan relations.
The statement said Secretary Austin “expressed his interest in continuing to improve US-Pakistan relations and building on our many shared interests in the region”.
“Secretary Austin and General Bajwa discussed the current situation in Afghanistan, regional security and stability, and bilateral defense relations more broadly,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said.
Mr. Austin also discussed the mutual goals of security and stability in the region, he said.
Responding to a question from a journalist, Mr. Kirby said the US is continuing talks with the Pakistani leadership about safe havens along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“We are careful that those safe havens are only providing a source of more insecurity and more instability inside Afghanistan. We do not shy away from having such discussions with Pakistani leaders.
“We are also wary that Pakistan and the Pakistani people are also victims of terrorist activities emanating from that region. So, we all have a shared sense of the importance of closing those safe havens and not allowing them to be used by the Taliban or other terrorist networks to sow discord,” Mr. Kirby said.
“And then, we are in talks with Pakistanis all the time,” he said.
Asked what role India and Pakistan should play in Afghanistan, a Pentagon spokesperson said: “We want all neighboring countries not to take actions that make the situation in Afghanistan more dangerous than ever, and to achieve this.” Try to use international pressure for a peaceful political settlement by negotiating this war.”
Published in Dawn, August 11, 2021
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