CIA director, Pak army chief discuss Afghan situation

By News Desk

RAWALPINDI: Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns on Thursday called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed and discussed regional security and the Afghanistan situation.

According to a news release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), matters of mutual interest, regional security situation and current situation in Afghanistan were discussed in the meeting.

“It was reiterated that Pakistan remains committed to cooperate with its international partners for peace in the region and ensuring a stable and prosperous future for Afghan people,” the statement said.

The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role in the Afghan situation, including successful evacuation operations, efforts for regional stability and pledged to play their role for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.

The meeting comes amid a flurry of activity in Afghanistan. A C-130 aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force carrying relief goods landed in Kabul. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan received the humanitarian supplies at the Hamid Karzai International Airport and passed them on to the Afghan officials.

Talking to the media, the ambassador said the relief goods include around 10 tons of flour, 1.5 tons of ghee and a large quantity of emergency medicine. “With the first such flight, this is just a beginning of the humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan, as more will be carried out in the coming days,” he said.

Mansoor Khan said two more C-130 flights carrying relief goods would be arranged for Kandahar and Khost on Friday and Saturday (today and tomorrow).

He said the relief activity will continue for the “weeks and months” and Pakistan’s public and private sectors as well as charity organisations will be sending humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan “in a systematic way”.

Besides air routes, he said, the goods will also be transported through the Torkham and Chaman land routes. “The Government of Pakistan will continue to do its best to help Afghan brethren during the prevalent challenging environment,” said the Foreign Office in a statement.

Pakistan has consistently been urging the international community to help avert economic collapse and the ensuing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan after the fall of the Ashraf Ghani government. The landlocked country has been cut off from the rest of the world for almost a month after the collapse of the previous government.