Army chief to land in Kabul on a crucial Afghan visit

Pakistani, Afghan military delegations to discuss bilateral cooperation, border management

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa will undertake a crucial visit to Afghanistan on Sunday (today) where his delegation is to discuss with Afghan counterparts ways to strengthen bilateral security cooperation and border management efforts.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been marred by mistrust and suspicion, with both the sides routinely accusing each other’s security institutions of backing fugitive anti-state militants to plot terrorist attacks against the other.

While no official details of General Bajwa’s expected engagements in Kabul have been announced, he is scheduled to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the Voice of America quoted an official as saying. The visiting general is expected to reiterate offers of training for Afghan soldiers and police personnel in Pakistani institutions.

He will emphasise the need for the two countries to resolve differences by relying on bilateral mechanisms and dialogue. The Afghan government and the United States allege insurgents use sanctuaries on Pakistani soil for launching attacks in Afghanistan.

Islamabad rejects the charges and insists no such activity is taking place on its side of the border because of sustained anti-terrorism operations the security forces have undertaken over the past few years. The officials also cite building of a fence and new security outposts on the nearly 2,600-kilometre border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Military spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor said that the fence would be in place within the next two years. “If Afghans are willing to build the fence and posts on their side, we are ready to do it for you so that only peaceful citizens can cross the border,” he had said.

Until a few years ago, he said the border was free of observation posts, terrorists were roaming freely in both directions but today 90 percent of the areas from Pakistani side was difficult to infiltrate. However, the Afghan side opposes the fencing project because it traditionally disputes the demarcation established in 1896 under British rule.

Pakistan dismisses the objection and recognises the boundary as an international frontier the country inherited after gaining independence from Britain in 1947. Afghan officials maintain that simply fencing the border would not address their concerns. Pakistan maintains that militants who have fled security operations have taken shelter in Afghanistan and plot attacks against the country with the help of the Afghan intelligence agency.

At a public talk in New York earlier this week, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif recounted his country’s contributions to fighting terrorism and helping US-backed efforts to stabilise Afghanistan. He criticised US attempts to single out Pakistan for all the ills plaguing the war-ravaged country.