Path to regional peace, stability passes through Afghanistan: COAS

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa Tuesday reiterated that the path to regional peace and stability passed through Afghanistan.

He was speaking at the Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference held at Kabul, said a statement issued here by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Commander USCENTCOM, Commander Resolute Support Mission (RSM) and Army Chiefs of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan also attended the Conference.

The conference concluded to continue cooperation for peace and stability in the region.

The COAS said that regions developed as a whole, not individual countries. He said Pakistan had eliminated all terrorist sanctuaries from its soil, however, residual signatures of terrorists, who take advantage of presence of 2.7 million Afghan refugees and absence of effective border security coordination, were also being traced and targeted through ongoing operation Radd ul Fasaad.

He assured that Pakistani territory is not allowed to be used against any other country and Pakistan expected the same in reciprocity.

He said that collaborative approach and persistence was the answer to all challenges, for which Pakistan was ready to play its part.