Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Friday asked the US military to share intelligence information on terrorist hideouts so that the Pakistan Army could take action against them, instead of the CIA carrying out drone strikes on its own in the Tribal Areas.
General Kayani was taking to General James N Mattis, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), who called on him in Rawalpindi. General Kayani also told the US general that Pakistan would facilitate Washington-backed dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban, but it could not extend any guarantee for the success of the talks. “The two military commanders discussed bilateral issues and matters of mutual interest, with special emphasis on improving coordination between ISAF and Pakistan Army, at Pak-Afghan border,” said a brief ISPR statement. An official said General Kayani and General Mattis agreed on the need to improve intelligence cooperation between the two sides in the fight against terrorism.
He said General Kayani was of the view that the US side should share intelligence, if there was any, on terrorist hideouts in the Tribal Areas and the Pakistani security forces would take them out, and hence there would be no need for drone strikes.
“The drone strikes should be stopped as they have proven to be counterproductive,” the official quoted General Kayani as saying during the meeting. “General Mattis reiterated the US demand to squeeze the Haqqani network by blocking the funds’ provision to the most powerful militant outfit, taking out its hideouts being allegedly used for explosives making in the Tribal Areas and making its cross-border movement more difficult,” the official said.
He said General Kayani observed that Pakistan was trying its best to end the menace of terror and it had no sympathies with any particular militant group.
Gen Kayani pushes US on intelligence sharing
