BERLIN: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa arrived in Germany on Saturday to attend Munich Security Conference, where he said that Pakistan defeated al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban and other outlawed militant groups, and they can proudly say that no organised militant camps exist on Pakistani soil today.
The army chief said so while giving Pakistan’s perspective on global and regional security.
The COAS said that Pakistan has denied the Islamic State (IS) militant group any foothold in the country.
He also said that terrorists have sanctuaries in Afghanistan, from where attacks are being coordinated against Pakistan.
He maintained that neither territory of Pakistan nor Afghanistan should be used against the other.
The army chief said the world was harvesting what had been sown 40 years ago. He called for the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and better management of the Afghan border as a way forward to curb militancy.
COAS will also have a few sideline meetings with other participating international civilian and military leaders, ISPR statement said.
Delivering his speech on “Jihadism After Caliphate”, along with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, he said only the state had the authority to declare jihad.