Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif shakes hands with US Secretary of State John Kerry. PHOTO: US DEPT OF STATE
Army chief General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday met US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington and called for resolution of the longstanding Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India for achieving durable peace and stability in South Asia.
General Raheel, who is currently on a five-day visit to the US, shared Pakistan’s perspective on the regional security situation with the top American diplomat, said chief military spokesperson Lt Gen Asim Salim Bajwa in a series of short messages on micro-blogging site Twitter.
The meeting, that lasted over 50 minutes, was also attended by Pakistan’s Ambassador in Washington Jalil Abbas Jilani. Secretary Kerry was assisted by recently appointed US Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Olson.
General Raheel and Secretary Kerry discussed the current regional security situation, including Afghanistan and India, according to the military spokesperson. The army chief underlined the need for resolution of the longstanding Kashmir dispute for long-term peace in the region.
A source with the knowledge of discussions said the army chief sought more proactive role of the US for conflict resolution in South Asia. India has always opposed third-party intervention on Kashmir yet Pakistan believes the US, given its clout and leverage, can play a role in defusing tensions between the two hostile neighbours.
Gen Raheel and Secretary Kerry also discussed the current situation in Afghanistan with particular reference to the stalled peace talks. They discussed the available options to overcome the current challenges related to the Afghan peace process and the way forward. A day earlier, the army chief had told the CIA chief John Brennan that conducive environment was needed for the resumption of stalled peace talks between Kabul and the Afghan Taliban.
His statement stemmed from the fact that relations between Islamabad and Kabul are currently strained by growing trust-deficit and any move seeking revival of talks will be futile unless the two neighbours first sort out their misgivings.
In his remarks, the US secretary of state welcomed the Pakistani delegation led by the army chief and stressed that America’s relations with Pakistan ‘are independent of all other countries.’
He acknowledged Pakistan’s contributions and ‘enormous sacrifices’ in the fight against terror. The army chief reiterated Pakistan’s desire to solidify US-Pakistan relations based on mutual interest and respect.
Gen Raheel’s visit is being given unprecedented importance largely because of the military’s influence on major national and foreign policy issues. Since arriving in Washington, Gen Raheel has already met senior US officials, including defence secretary, CIA’s chief and top military commanders. He is also expected to meet US Vice President Joe Biden.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2015.
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