KABUL - US Deputy Assistant Secretary at the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Ambassador Alice Wells and Pakistan’s Army Chief Gen. Qamar Bajwa have agreed to remain engaged for peace in Afghanistan, a media report said on Wednesday. “Both reaffirmed the commitment towards the common goal of peace and stability in the region and discussed measures towards that end.
Both also agreed on continued engagement at multiple levels,” dawn.com reported a statement from the army media wing Inter-Services Public Relations.
Amb Wells was on a three-day visit to Pakistan to again seek Pakistani authorities’ help for the Afghan peace process. She met Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa and Chief of the General Staff Lt Gen Bilal Akbar.
She also met business leaders and ambassadors from other embassies in Islamabad.
During her visit to Kabul, which preceded the Islamabad trip, Amb Wells said Taliban’s refusal to join the political process was “unacceptable”. She had further accused the “Taliban ….who are not residing in Afghanistan” of being obstacle to the peace talks. She was apparently referring to Pakistan-based Taliban against whom the US has long asked for action.
During her meetings, she reminded her interlocutors of Pakistan’s commitment to take action against all terrorist groups that might be found on its territory. “Ambassador Wells discussed Pakistan’s stated commitment to eliminating all terrorist groups present within its borders,” the US embassy said in an apparent reference to the Taliban elements claimed to be present in Pakistan.
The embassy said that Amb Wells’ discussion was consistent with the Trump administration’s South Asia and Afghanistan strategy. The strategy announced last year signaled that Washington might take coercive steps to push Pakistan to crack down against the Taliban and Haqqani network. (Pajhwok)