- Gen Bajwa says border fencing with Afghanistan only to check terrorism not to hinder people-to-people contact
RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday reiterated his support for peace in Afghanistan and said that the recently agreed Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Stability (APAPPS) is expected to bring more cooperation and coordination between the two countries.
General Bajwa was on a short trip to Kabul during which he had an exclusive one-on-one meeting with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, followed by delegation-level discussions. The COAS also held meetings with Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and Resolute Support Mission (RSM) Commander General John Nicholson.
The COAS congratulated Afghanistan authorities on recent peace initiatives especially in respect of the holy month of Ramazan/Eid and wished that these steps gain more of permanence ultimately leading towards an enduring peace.
The discussions encompassed a wide range of issues especially the ongoing efforts for reconciliation in Afghanistan, measures needed to check the rise of ISIS and the issue of terrorists taking benefit of the porous border to indulge in terrorism, smuggling and drug trafficking, being often networked together.
General Bajwa reiterated that it is the regions and not countries that develop for which peace and development remain quintessential. He added that having attained relative peace and stability inside Pakistan, efforts are now focused towards socio-economic development as a route towards enduring peace and stability.
Referring to border fencing, the army chief said that this is an obstacle for checking terrorism and not between people of both sides.
The Afghanistan president thanked Bajwa for his visit and recent security initiatives undertaken for peace and stability. The president shared the contours of his vision about regional development, efforts to extend ongoing temporary ceasefire and steps related to creating conditions for reconciliation.
The Afghan chief executive also thanked COAS for his visit and APAPPS initiative.
Both sides agreed that while results of the bilateral initiatives are extremely important, and even more important is the continuity of the processes to achieve the end state objectives.
Talking to RSM Commander General Nicholson, the army chief said that Pakistan desires that US/NATO forces succeed and leave behind a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
Earlier, upon arrival at the presidential palace, the COAS was presented a guard of honour. The foreign secretary, ISI director general, Pakistan’s ambassador in Afghanistan and other senior officials accompanied General Bajwa while Afghan NSA and senior ministers including NDS officials were a part of Afghan delegation.
General Qamar Javed Bajwa had left for Kabul earlier on Tuesday. The invitation was extended by the Afghan president, ISPR Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor tweeted.
“Pakistan wishes to see [the] National Unity Government and US/ NATO succeeding to bring peace in Afghanistan,” the military’s spokesperson wrote on Twitter.
