Pak Army’s role praiseworthy: US general

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: A US delegation led by General Joseph L Votel, Commander US CENTCOM, called on Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Sunday.

The US commander appreciated Pakistan Army’s efforts for regional peace and stability. A press release issued here by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the COAS reiterated that peace in Afghanistan is vital for regional peace.

Gen Bajwa said that Pakistan, despite constraints, had contributed to all efforts for regional peace and would continue to do so, it said. It added that geo-strategic environment, regional security and Afghanistan peace and reconciliation process were discussed in the meeting.

In a related development, Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated the government's commitment to continue working with the US and other regional stakeholders to find a political settlement in Afghanistan.

He expressed these views while talking to US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who called on him here. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Quraishi, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, Additional Foreign Secretary Aftab Ahmad Khokher and senior officials were also present.

Imran underscored the need for normalising relations with all neighbouring countries to unleash the potential of regional cooperation. Prime Minister Khan noted that his economic team was constantly striving to evolve business-friendly policies for potential investors, which could be benefited by the US companies.

On his part, Senator Graham conveyed his appreciation of Pakistan’s positive role in the ongoing efforts to find a political settlement in Afghanistan. He also praised prime minister's vision to have advocated for a political solution to the Afghan conflict.

He lauded the vision of prime minister to improve the economy, eliminate corruption and create jobs for the people of Pakistan. He added that prime minister's efforts to normalise relations with neighbouring countries were noteworthy.

In view of the historical linkages between Pakistan and the US, the two sides agreed to deepen the bilateral economic ties, particularly in the context of trade and investment cooperation.

After the meeting, Graham vowed to urge President Donald Trump to meet Imran Khan to boost Washington´s Afghanistan peace efforts, calling the Pakistani prime minister an "agent of change".

He said Imran Khan was a "new partner" who could potentially help with a peace deal in Afghanistan. "I’m going to urge him (Trump) to meet with the prime minister as soon as practical," Graham told reporters, saying he believed Khan and Trump would "hit it off" because they have "similar personalities". "Prime Minister Khan is the agent of change that I've been looking for," he added.

Ties between Washington and Islamabad have soured recently, with US officials repeatedly accusing Pakistan of turning a blind eye to or even collaborating with the Afghan Taliban, which launch attacks in Afghanistan from alleged havens along the border between the two countries.

Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Pakistan´s alleged duplicity, saying late last year that Islamabad does not do "a damn thing" for the US. Khan has been equally critical of Trump, saying before 2018´s election in Pakistan that a potential meeting with the US president would be a "bitter pill" to swallow.

The US lawmaker´s trip to Pakistan comes as American officials have held several rounds of talks with Taliban representatives. Graham said a meeting between the two leaders was vital to carve out a potential deal in Afghanistan.

"They actually need to meet and come up with an agenda that will push a resolution to the war in Afghanistan," the senator added. Graham -- once a potent critic of Trump -- has transformed in recent months into an ardent defender and influential ally of the president. He said by putting up fence on border with Afghanistan, Pak Army has fulfilled in 18 months a desire that the US had been having for 18 years.

The senator´s arrival also overlapped with an ongoing trip by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who has been shuttling around the region for months to build support for the peace initiative. Khalilzad was in Kabul last week and then flew to Pakistan were he also met with the prime minister Friday as news reports in Pakistan suggested Islamabad was open to hosting the next round of talks with the insurgents.

The Taliban, however, have threatened to suspend the fledgling peace efforts, accusing Washington of changing the agenda of the talks and "unilaterally" adding new subjects. Graham´s trip also comes after US officials announced in December that Trump intends to withdraw as many as half of the 14,000 US troops deployed in Afghanistan.

The meetings are the latest in a flurry of diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing the Taliban to the table for negotiations with the Afghan government on ending the conflict which began with the US invasion in 2001.