COAS Raheel assures Pak help for peaceful Afghan polls
20 May, 2014
ISLAMABAD: The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, on Monday assured that Pakistan would extend all-out support to peaceful Afghan presidential election.
The COAS extended the support when top military commanders of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nato met in Kabul and reviewed the current security situation in Afghanistan, a joint statement said.
The participants of the four-star level meeting held in Kabul expressed satisfaction that Pakistan had lived up to its commitment in the last month's first round of the presidential polls in Afghanistan as it didn't take the side any of the candidates or meddled in the process in any manner.
According to the ISPR, the meeting was held at the Afghan Ministry of Defence, Kabul, and it was attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, Afghan Chief of General Staff General Sher Muhammad Karimi and Commander of ISAF General Joseph Dunford.
The participants reviewed the current security situation in Afghanistan. Besides the transfer of security responsibility to Afghan National Security Forces in the wake of US/Isaf drawdown, enhanced bilateralism between Pakistan and Afghanistan with particular emphasis on coordinating arrangements along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was also deliberated upon during the meeting.
"The Afghan military officials also briefed the Pakistani delegation over the latest security situation in Afghanistan with special emphasis on Afghan presidential elections," the ISPR said.
Later, separate meetings of General Raheel Sharif were held with Afghan acting President Younis Qanooni and Afghan Defence Minister General Bismillah Muhammadi. Matters of mutual interest were discussed during these meetings.
Meanwhile, Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz reiterated that Pakistan wouldn't interfere in the upcoming last phase of Afghan presidential election being held on June 14. In a brief chat here at the Parliament House, Sartaj Aziz said that the decision not to meddle in the internal affairs of Afghanistan was a well thought-out and well-considered decision. Pakistan stood by its decision and for the reason no complaint was received on this account.
To a query, he maintained that Pakistan did not have any favourite in the political matters of that country. "There is no question of Pakistan's interference in the next month's presidential poll," he said.
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