Afghan, Pakistani forces jointly fighting terrorists, Pentagon tells Congress
WASHINGTON: The US Department of Defence has informed Congress that the military-to-military cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan is having a positive impact on the fight against terrorism.
In its latest report to Congress, the Pentagon noted that “the role of Pakistan remains critical to stability in Afghanistan”.
The DOD said that since President Ashraf Ghani’s inauguration, Afghan and Pakistani leaders have conducted several high-level engagements and engaged in a cooperative security dialogue, “representing a promising trend for regional security”.
The Pentagon informed US lawmakers that the Dec 16 terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar had made both countries realise that they need to cooperate on shared security interests.
“Afghanistan and Pakistan also share mutual concerns over the potential emergence of ISIL elements in the region,” the report added.
During a press conference in Kabul on May 12, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared that “the enemies of Afghanistan cannot be friends of Pakistan”. President Ghani reinforced this message by saying that the enemies of Pakistan cannot be the friends of Afghanistan.
The report pointed out that plans for future engagement between the two militaries have also been gaining momentum.
According to the report, during the Operation Khyber II launched in December 2014 the Pakistani military attempted to coordinate bilaterally with Afghan military representatives instead of through US or coalition channels.
Both the Afghan and Pakistan governments have indicated a desire to coordinate cross-border security and are in the process of finalising a Bilateral Military Coordination Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Although the previous trilateral border SOP expired on December 31, 2014 both militaries are still operating under those procedures until the new SOP is signed. The Afghan military is also attempting to capitalise on the Pakistani military operations on their side of the border.
Pakistani Army operations in the last several months have applied pressure on extremists operating in the border.
Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2015
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