–US defence secretary assures army chief of close assistance to Pakistan
WASHINGTON: United States Secretary of Defence Mark Esper on Friday telephoned Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and lauded Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process and vowed to continue close assistance to Pakistan.
According to the spokesperson of the Pentagon, matters related to security and other bilateral issues were discussed during the telephonic conversation.
On March 4, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had clarified that Pakistan only facilitated the Afghan peace process for ending the decades-old war in the country.
He said this while taking the upper house of the parliament into confidence over the US-Taliban peace deal.
Following the successful dialogue, the US and the Afghan Taliban had signed the peace deal on February 29, marking an end to the 18-year-war in Afghanistan.
US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban Deputy Leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar had signed the agreement as representatives from each side.
The US and NATO troops would withdraw from Afghanistan within 14 months, a joint declaration had said, which was released minutes before the deal was signed.
The signing ceremony of a peace agreement between the US and Afghan Taliban was also attended by representatives of 50 countries, including foreign ministers.
