RAWALPINDI: US Central Command (Centcom) commander General Michael Erik Kurilla and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir spoke on Monday about the security situation in the region. According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the event took place during the top US military official’s meeting with COAS Munir at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Gen. Kurilla recognised and applauded Pakistan’s efforts to maintain regional peace and security as well as the Pakistan Army’s victories in the war against terrorism. The military’s media wing stated that topics of mutual interest and defence cooperation were discussed at the meeting in addition to the regional security situation.
“Both reiterated the desire to further enhance bilateral relations in all fields,” the ISPR said.
The meeting comes as both nations — Pakistan and US — called on war-torn Afghanistan to ensure that its soil isn’t used as a safe haven by terrorists.
The United States had last week reiterated that the Afghan Taliban must ensure that their country isn’t used for terror attacks as Pakistan blames the neighbouring nation for harbouring hardliners Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“Taliban has the responsibility to prevent […] Afghanistan from being used as a safe haven for launching terrorist attacks,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said during a press briefing.
The top brass of the Pakistan Army has said that sanctuaries and liberty of action available to terrorists of proscribed TTP and other groups of that ilk in Afghanistan is one of the major reasons impacting the security of Islamabad.
The terror attacks in Pakistan have spiked since November last year when the TTP ended its ceasefire agreement with Islamabad, with the armed forces also ramping up efforts against militants.
