Presidential run-off: Gen Raheel assures help in Afghan poll security

Pakistan, Afghan army chiefs, Isaf commander meet in Kabul, discuss election, post-2014 security.

ISLAMABAD:

Army Chief General Raheel Sharif promised to extend Pakistan’s full support to Afghan authorities for ensuring a trouble-free second phase of its presidential elections, said officials.

The assurance from Gen Raheel came during his talks with Afghan Army Chief Sher Muhammad Karimi and International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) Commander General Joseph Dunford in Kabul on Monday.

This was Gen Raheel’s first official trip to Afghanistan since he assumed the charge of Chief of Army Staff in November last year.

The trilateral talks, which lasted four hours, were focused on the security of the second phase of the presidential elections in Afghanistan as well as the post-2014 scenario.

A Pakistani military official explained that it was not a formal meeting of the tripartite commission, which meets quarterly to review the security situation.



A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that a four-star level  meeting was held at Afghan Ministry of Defence in Kabul. “The participants reviewed the current security situation in Afghanistan,” it added.

The transfer of security responsibility to Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in the wake of the US/Isaf drawdown, enhanced bilateralism between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with particular emphasis on coordination arrangements along Pakistan-Afghanistan Border, was also deliberated upon during the meeting.

“The meeting emphasised on trilateral and bilateral cooperation and the discussion focused on the joint anti-terror war, security on both sides of the Durand Line and peaceful elections. The Afghan side conveyed its concerns about the insecurity on the other side of the border,” said the Afghan defence ministry spokesperson General Zahir Azeemi.

Afghan military officials also briefed the Pakistani delegation over the latest security situation in their country, with special emphasis on the Afghan presidential elections.

The Afghan army chief had sought the Pakistan Army’s help for the security of the presidential runoff between Dr Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani on June 14, Azeemi told the BBC.

The spokesperson confirmed that the Pakistani army chief pledged to extend all possible support for this purpose.

Gen. Raheel described the cooperation between the Pakistani and Afghan armies as very important for peace and security, he said.

Meanwhile, officials revealed that the army chief also raised the issue of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) ‘sanctuaries’ in Afghanistan. Islamabad suspects that TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah is being given refuge by Afghan security agencies.

Gen Raheel also held separate meetings with the Afghan Acting President Younis Qanooni and Afghan Defence Minister General Bismillah Muhammadi.

Afghan security concerns

Analysts believe that the second round of elections would face some serious challenges ranging from the possible concerns of voter fraud, security threats and the ethnic divide.

Abdul Ghafoor Liwal, the president of the Regional Studies Centre of Afghanistan, Kabul, told The Express Tribune, “The security environment could affect the turnout in the south and east, the Pashtun-majority areas bordering Pakistan, as people could not go to the polling centres in view of a fragile security situation there.”

The Taliban militants, who have launched their annual Spring Offensive, say they would carry out attacks during the second round.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2014.