ISLAMABAD: General Lloyd J. Austin Commander United States Central Command (Centcom) called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi today, according to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release.

During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, including bilateral defence cooperation and the overall regional security situation with special emphasis on Afghanistan, came under discussion.

The Centcom chief lauded the sacrifices rendered by the Pakistan Army in the war against terror and operational gains in Zarb-i-Azb, which has resulted in an effective degradation of terrorist networks.

Earlier, on arrival at the GHQ, Gen Lloyd J. Austin laid a floral wreath at Yadgare-e- Shuhada to pay tribute to Pakistani martyrs.

Centcom commander meets defence secretary

"General Lloyd J. Austin III visited the Defence Ministry in Rawalpindi and held a meeting with Secretary Defence Lt.Gen (r) Alam Khattak," a spokesperson for MOD told Dawn.

During the meeting, General Lloyd J. Austin III offered condolences over the Peshawar tragedy and praised Pakistan's role in the war against terrorism.

The Centcom chief has arrived in Pakistan on a two-day official visit and will also meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry tomorrow.

Defence sources told Dawn that General Lloyd J. Austin III is visiting Pakistan to assess the latest security situation in the region in the wake of the Dec 16 Taliban attack on Peshawar's Army Public School, which left 150 people dead, including more than 140 schoolchildren, and to strengthen coordination between Pakistan and Nato forces in the post US drawdown situation in Afghanistan.