Future US policy on Pakistan should look at its security considerations: Gen McChrystal

Washington’s future policy towards Pakistan should take into account factors that motivate Islamabad’s security considerations and actions and a stable Afghanistan is important to Pakistan’s own stability, said former commander of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan General Stanley McChrystal, on Sunday. Appearing on an American TV talk show, McChrystal, who led coalition forces in Afghanistan until 2010, also said the US policy towards the region should focus on long-term stability of the region. Specifically asked about the US policy towards Pakistan, McChrystal said, “I think that it is our long term strategy that we have to be talking about, what makes Pakistan act the way they do, their relationship with India, the issue over places like Kashmir, what motivates their thinking, what is the direction of Pakistani actions. Part of that is impacted by what we do in the future in Afghanistan. I believe a stable Afghanistan is important to Pakistan and I think it is important to the region.” He stressed that crafting a policy towards Afghanistan essentially is a question of regional stability.