Meeting COAS, John Kerry terms Pak Army a 'truly binding force': DG ISPR

Published December 1, 2014
This photo shows Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif shaking hands with US Secretary of State John Kerry.   — Photo courtesy of Major General Asim Bajwa' Twitter account
This photo shows Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif shaking hands with US Secretary of State John Kerry. — Photo courtesy of Major General Asim Bajwa' Twitter account

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif met with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday at the US Department of State, according to a Twitter update by Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Bajwa.

During the meeting General Raheel Sharif presented Pakistan's perspective on regional security issues.

US Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged Pakistan's role in fighting terror and the sacrifices rendered by the country. He also praised the professionalism of Pakistan Army and termed the institution a 'truly binding force'.

Kerry also welcomed progress on improved ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan as a step towards regional stability and assured the UNited States' full support in this regard.

Praise from the US Secretary of State follows acknowledgment of Pakistan's efforts by US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Dan Feldman.

Also read: Gen Sharif’s stance on terrorists pleases US

The US envoy, after holding a meeting with Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif had said, “Yes, we all recognise that significant progress has been made” in the fight against terrorists since the North Waziristan operation, he said.

“We also recognise that more work needs to be done, but there’s true commitment from Gen Sharif to deliver on this,” said the US envoy.

“People in Washington were very pleased with his commitment” to fighting all terrorists, including the Haqqani network, he said.

Gen Sharif came to the United States on a two-week visit earlier this month for talks on strategic issues and on Operation Zarb-i-Azb.

Read: Army chief holds talks at Pentagon

He has already met senior officials at the White House, the State Department and the US Department of Defence.

He also met US services chiefs and visited headquarters of the US Central Command for talks on issues related to US strategies in the Pak-Afghan region. The Central Command oversees US military efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

During his presentations in Washington, Gen Sharif assured the US administration that the operation in North Waziristan was directed against all terrorist groups. He told US officials, who were particularly concerned about the activities of the Haqqani network that the Haqqanis were among the groups Pakistan was targeting and there were no exceptions in this operation.

Also read: Army chief conferred US Legion of Merit medal

Senior US officials told Dawn that they found Gen Sharif “honest and straightforward” and had reasons to believe his assurance that Pakistan was now targeting the Haqqani network.

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

IHK resolution
Updated 08 Nov, 2024

IHK resolution

If the BJP administration were to listen to Kashmiris, it could pave the way for the resumption of the political process in IHK.
Climate realities
08 Nov, 2024

Climate realities

THE Air Quality Index in Lahore once again shot past the 1,000-level mark on Wednesday morning, registering at an...
Rule by fear
08 Nov, 2024

Rule by fear

THE abduction of an opposition MNA, as claimed by PTI, is yet another grim episode in Pakistan’s ongoing crisis of...
Trump 2.0
Updated 07 Nov, 2024

Trump 2.0

It remains to be seen how his promises to bring ‘peace’ to Middle East reconcile with his blatantly pro-Israel bias.
Fait accompli
07 Nov, 2024

Fait accompli

A SLEW of secretively conceived and hastily enacted legislation has achieved its intended result: the powers of the...
IPP contracts
07 Nov, 2024

IPP contracts

THE government expects the ongoing ‘negotiations’ with power producers aimed at revising the terms of sovereign...