COAS in Tajikistan to attend QCTC forum

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday reached Tajikistan in order to attend a summit aimed at counter terrorism initiatives involving four countries in the region, a statement from the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Following his arrival, General Bajwa called on the country’s defence minister Sherdil Mirzo as well as General Li Zuocheng — China’s Chief of Joint Staff.

The COAS — during the course of his three-day trip to the country to attend the Quadrilateral Counter Terrorism Coordination (QCTC) forum — will meet the military leadership China, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan.

The forum also intends to discuss matters related to the South Asian security and strategy, ongoing environment, and “a way forward in relation to situation in Afghanistan and Counter Terrorism efforts”, especially in light of US President Donald Trump’s recent televised talk on America’s linkages with the countries in this region.

The four nations’ militaries have been in talks at staff level over the past few months “to formulate agenda points for conduct of this event”, the statement added.