Snag hits NATO commander’s visit

US Embassy says Gen Allen could not fly due to a mechanical fault in the plane.

ISLAMABAD:

The top US commander heading the Nato/Isaf mission in Afghanistan postponed his scheduled visit to Pakistan on Thursday.

In a brief statement, the Pakistan military confirmed the postponement without specifying any reason.

“General John Allen’s visit postponed. Fresh date of visit will be announced later,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement read.

A US Embassy spokesperson said General Allen could not fly from Kabul due to ‘mechanical problem’ developed in his plane.

Military sources said the top US general was likely to visit soon though.

Gen Allen was due to hold talks with Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on the recently-evolved border coordination measures.

Ahead of his visit, Allen wrote an article in The Washington Post, claiming that Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar was hiding in Pakistan and sending fighters to Afghanistan for attacks.

“Omar lives in Pakistan, as do many of his commanders,” Allen said.

However, a military official attempted to downplay the postponement, saying the top US general is likely to visit Pakistan very soon.

Relations between the two countries have improved in recent weeks following Pakistan’s decision to reopen vital supply routes for foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan.

Last week, Nato claimed to have killed a senior Pakistani Taliban commander in an airstrike in Afghanistan.

Mullah Dadullah, who led the Pakistani Taliban in the Bajaur tribal agency, was killed last Friday in a strike on a compound across the border in the Afghan province of Kunar.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2012.