ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on Tuesday telephoned Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss Afghanistan and mutual goals of security and stability in the region.
According to a press release issued by the Pentagon, Secretary Austin expressed ‘interest in continuing to improve the US-Pakistan relationship’ and building upon multiple shared interests in the region.
“The two sides also discussed the bilateral defence relationship and regional security and stability with reference to Afghanistan,” the statement added.
Earlier today, I spoke with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Bajwa. We discussed our mutual interest in regional stability, and I reiterated my desire to continue improving the important U.S. – Pakistan relationship. pic.twitter.com/RzVAM6qqhW
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) August 9, 2021
The call comes at a time when the Afghan Taliban are blitzing across the country, seizing six provincial capitals within days, and President Biden standing firm on a US exit with limited options appearing to be on the table to reverse the insurgents’ momentum.
President Joe Biden has said the US military mission in Afghanistan will end on Aug. 31, arguing that the Afghan people must decide their own future and that he would not consign another generation of Americans to the 20-year war.
US envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has left for Qatar where he will “press the Taliban to stop their military offensive and to negotiate a political settlement,” the State Department said on Monday.
On Aug 1, National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf said Pakistan and the United States needed to work “more closely” amid evolving situation in Afghanistan.
“No other nation can work on shared threats in the region other than Pakistan and the US, like instability in Afghanistan. However, Afghan soil was and still is being used against Pakistan which is a serious concern and needs to be stopped,” the NSA had said.
