Pakistan open to facilitating peace in Afghanistan: COAS

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Sunday that Pakistan is open to any suggestion that facilitate peace in Afghanistan.

COAS, while speaking to Afghan CGS General Sharif Yaftali during Quadrilateral Counter Terrorism Coordination Mechanism (QCCM), assured full cooperation to Afghanistan, according to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).

In this spirit, he offered to form a Pak-Afg Army working group to jointly work and formulate security recommendations for government level discussion aimed at addressing mutual concerns. Afghan CGS agreed to the proposal and thanked COAS for his relentless efforts towards peace.

Pakistan cannot bring Afghan war into Pakistan, he claimed, adding Pakistan has already cleared all its areas indiscriminately and has started unilateral border security measures including fencing.

QCCM meeting

A meeting of Quadrilateral Counter Terrorism Coordination Mechanism (QCCM) was held at Dushanbe on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by senior military leadership of member countries including Gen Li Zuocheng of China, General Sobirzoda Imomali Abdurrahim of Tajikistan and General Sharif Yaftali of Afghanistan.

All four leaders welcomed the QCCM initiative and expressed hope that an inclusive and cooperative regional approach will prove best for eradication of terrorism.

Speaking on the occasion, General Qamar Javed Bajwa highlighted achievements of Pakistan in fight against terrorism and for eliminating terrorists' safe havens from its soil. 

He said that terrorism is a transnational threat can only be defeated through intelligence sharing and coordinated effective border management.

The participants also signed an outline cooperative mechanism which will come into force after its endorsement by respective governments.