ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and US militaries appear to be engaged again intactical counterterrorism cooperation for promoting a negotiated settlementto the war in Afghanistan, reported *VOA News.link*
American and Pakistani military officials have acknowledged the positivetrend in mutual ties, with both sides underscoring the need for continuedengagements.
“Pakistan looks forward to peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan has been doingits bit in this regard with other stakeholders,” Pakistan army spokesmanMajor-General Asif Ghafoor told VOA on Friday.
Ghafoor was responding to comments made by a top American general onThursday that cooperation from Pakistan “remains key to accomplishing theoverall objective of a durable political settlement in Afghanistan.”
The Pakistani army spokesman made a further assertion. “Themilitary-to-military engagement is likely to yield more positive resultswithin the overall framework of stakeholders.”
Speaking in Washington a day prior, General Joseph Votel, commander of USCentral Command (CENTCOM), told reporters in Washington he has maintained a“very robust relationship” with Pakistan’s military chief, General QamarJaved Bajwa. He emphasized that other U.S. officials also have beencommunicating to counterparts in Islamabad and “it is important to talk.”
“We continue to work closely with Pakistan to help them fulfill theimportant role that they have indicated they want to play. Now is the timefor them to step forward,” the US general said.
President Donald Trump, under his new South Asia strategy, announced lastAugust, has suspended military assistance to Pakistan until it takesdecisive action against terrorists involved in attacks in Afghanistan andother regional countries. That move strained mutual ties and halteddiplomatic contacts until weeks ago when Washington restored the high-levelcontacts with Islamabad.
The US and Afghan officials have long alleged that Taliban leaders andthose of the Haqqani network are directing the Afghan insurgency from “safehavens” in Pakistan.
Votel again called for Pakistan to continue to press against insurgents onits soil by either expelling them, arresting them or by pressuring theminto holding peace talks with the Afghan government.
“And this, I think, really are the key things that we have asked for them,and we have seen some — over the last several months — some promisingopportunities,” said the US commander.
“We have seen Pakistan move in some of the directions that we have askedthem to, but we need to see that in a much more strategic way andlonger-term way as we press forward,” Votel added, but he did not elaborate.
The Afghan Taliban insurgency last month observed an unprecedentedunilateral cease-fire during the three-day Eid festival, a move widelywelcomed by the international community. U.S. officials at the time hintedIslamabad might have played a role.
Speaking in Islamabad earlier this month, Afghan ambassador Omar Zakhilwalfor the first time publicly acknowledged that Pakistan did play a role inpersuading the insurgents to declare the cease-fire, though he did notexplain it further.
Some reports suggested that Islamabad agreed to pressure the Afghan Talibanin exchange for the US killing of Mullah Fazllullah, the leader of thePakistani Taliban (TTP), and dozens of his fighters in drone strikesagainst their sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Islamabad maintains, however it is not solely responsible for helping tobring the Taliban to the negotiating table. Officials say Pakistan’sinfluence with the insurgent group has receded in recent years. But othercountries, including Russia and Iran, meanwhile have increased contactswith the Taliban over growing fears that Afghan insecurity is encouragingIslamic State state terrorists to solidify bases in Afghanistan.