Pakistan, US NSAs agree to advance bilateral cooperation

• The national security advisers of Pakistan and the United States of America met in Geneva on Sunday.
• Both sides had a positive conversation on bilateral issues and agreed to advance practical cooperation on these issues.
• Development comes after top Pentagon official says Pakistan had played an important role in supporting the Afghan peace process.

The national security advisers of Pakistan and the United States of America met in Geneva on Sunday, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said Monday.

"Both sides had a positive conversation on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest and agreed to advance practical cooperation on these issues," the statement added.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had appointed Yusuf as his NSA last week. According to a May 17 notification issued by the Cabinet Division, Dr Yusuf would, in his capacity as the NSA, enjoy the status of a federal minister.

Newly appointed National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf, in a tweet, said he was pleased to meet US NSA Jake Sullivan, yesterday. 

"Pakistan and US delegations held positive discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. Both sides agreed to continue the conversation to advance cooperation in Pak-US bilateral relations," he said.

The development comes after a top Pentagon official said Pakistan had played an important role in supporting the peace process in Afghanistan.

Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Affairs David F Helvey issued the statement while addressing lawmakers of the Senate Armed Services Committee in the US on Saturday.

He was responding to a question from Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, about his "assessment of Pakistan" and its intelligence agencies and the role expected by both in the future.

“Pakistan has played an important role in Afghanistan. They supported the Afghan peace process. Pakistan also has allowed us to have overflight and access to be able to support our military presence in Afghanistan,” Helvey said.

He said the US will continue its conversation with Pakistan because of its support and contribution to the future of Afghanistan.

Pakistan has always allowed overflights and ground access to the US to facilitate its military presence in Afghanistan and will continue to do so, diplomatic sources were quoted as saying by Dawn.

On Saturday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told lawmakers in New York that Pakistan was seeking a broad-based, strategic partnership with America, which would also cover Afghanistan.

He had emphasised the need for “a broad-based strategic partnership” in the interest of both countries.

Last month, US President Joe Biden announced to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by September 11 this year.

The US and the Taliban signed a landmark deal in Doha on February 29, 2020, to bring lasting peace in war-torn Afghanistan and allow US troops to return home from America's longest war.

Under the US-Taliban pact signed in Doha, the US agreed to withdraw all its soldiers from Afghanistan in 14 months.

There are currently 2,500 American troops left in Afghanistan, the lowest level of American forces in the war-torn country since 2001.