Pakistan committed to cooperate with int'l partners for peace: COAS

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday said that Pakistan remained committed to cooperate with its international partners for peace in the region, military said in a statement.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief expressed these views during a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Yerzhan Kistafin at GHQ today.

ISPR said that during the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation and cooperation in various fields were discussed. The COAS hoped that the law and order situation in Kazakhstan will be restored soon.

Read more: Pakistan vows not to ‘abandon Afghan people in time of need’

Referring to Afghanistan, General Qamar stressed upon the need for sincere international efforts to avert a humanitarian crisis there. He said that Pakistan remains committed to cooperate with its international partners for peace in the region.

The statement further said that the visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role and efforts for regional stability and pledged to play his role for further improvement in diplomatic cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.

The army chief's statement comes days after Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan is "committed to provide all-out support to the Afghan people to avert a humanitarian crisis" while chairing the third meeting of the Apex Committee on Afghanistan.

“We welcome the United Nations (UN) appeal for aid to Afghanistan,” he added.

The committee again expressed concerns over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and vowed that Pakistan will not abandon Afghans in their time of need.

Also read: First consignment of aid dispatched to Afghanistan

It renewed its appeal to the international community and relief agencies to provide aid at this critical juncture to avert economic collapse and to save precious lives in Afghanistan.

The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to explore bilateral cooperation with friendly countries as well to stave off humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan by exporting qualified and trained manpower especially in medical, IT, finance and accounting.

However, on Saturday, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, while praising the Pakistani government's proposal, said that “there is no need for it”.

"There is no need for a foreign workforce in Afghanistan," Karzai wrote on his official Twitter handle.

“Hamid Karzai welcomes PM Imran Khan’s suggestion over sending foreign manpower in particular Pakistani manpower to Afghanistan but there is no need for such manpower,” it read.

The former president also urged the Taliban’s caretaker government in Kabul to create job opportunities, saying that employing the youth will also facilitate the return of Afghan refugees and professionals who are currently living in exile.