Four-nation mechanism set up to fight terrorism

Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and Tajikistan join hands to ensure regional peace and security

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Tajikistan have established a new Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism (QCCM) to fight terrorism, Inter-Services Public Relations announced on Wednesday.

The inaugural meeting of the group was held in Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the Pakistan military’s media wing said. The meeting was attended by Pakistan’s army chief General Raheel Sharif, Afghan National Army Chief of General Staff Qadam Shah Shahim, Chief of Joint Staff Department of Central Military Commission (CMC) of China General Fang Fenghui and First Deputy Defence Minister and CGS Tajikistan armed forces Major General E A Cobidrzoda.

COAS urges Muslim unity against terror

According to ISPR, the participants unanimously agreed that terrorism and extremism are a serious threat to regional stability and fully appreciated the unremitting efforts taken by the militaries of the four countries against the forces of terrorism and extremism. They reiterated their resolve to cooperate for tackling these forces for peace and stability of all member countries.

The participants agreed to establish the QCCM to coordinate and provide mutual support limited to four countries only in the fields of counter terrorism situation evaluation, clue verification, intelligence sharing, counter terrorism capacity building, counter terrorism joint training exercises and personnel training, ISPR said. They also agreed that all decisions reached by the QCCM will be based on mutual consultation and consensus.

The parties agreed that the QCCM should adhere to the principles of UN charter and other universally recognised principles and norms of international law, especially those on maintaining peace and security, safe guarding independence and equality with mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. They emphasised that the formation of the QCCM was not targeted against any other state or international organisation.

World should stand by us in terror fight: COAS

Meanwhile, the Gen Raheel held a meeting with Gen Fang of China’s People’s Liberation Army. They discussed military to military relations, bilateral security cooperation and all dimension of long term China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) security.

Genl Raheel also held separate meeting with Xinjiang province Party Secretary Zhang Chun Xian and discussed Pakistan-China bilateral relations and regional security issue with particular reference to CPEC completion and security.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2016.