Islamabad, January 09: Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has said militancy could only be eliminated by greater intelligence sharing between Pakistani and Nato forces about the movements of Taleban militants.
Gen. Kayani made these remarks while talking to a four-member US congressional delegation led by Senator John McCain who called on him at GHQ in Rawalpindi on Friday.
Overall security situation in the region was also discussed.
Gen. Kayani said Pakistan has legitimate interests in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and stressed that US must remain sensitive to Pakistan’s core national interests and concerns.
He said that US actions should remain on the Afghan side of the border and only Pakistani forces should have the right to carry out attacks against militants in Pakistan.
The army chief also called on President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday and briefed him on the army’s operational preparedness, overall security situation and the drive against militancy and extremism.
Gen. Kayani met the president after a conference held at the General Headquarters and attended by Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, discussed operational preparedness with focus on integration and coordination between the two forces.
According to a senior security official, the conference, which was held two days after a meeting of the cabinet’s defence committee, discussed measures taken by the armed forces to meet any threat to country’s security.
The official said the ground troops, with coordinated aerial support, had achieved successes in military operations in Swat and tribal areas and the conference decided to put in place an effective coordination mechanism between the two services to thwart any attack. The conference was held against the background of a statement recently made by Indian Army Chief Gen Deepak Kapoor about waging war against Pakistan and China simultaneously.
The official said the acquisition of modern weaponry by India was a matter of concern for Pakistan and, therefore, the hostile statement by Gen. Kapoor could not be taken lightly.
He said that although the Indian government was yet to explain if the general’s remarks reflected its official policy or were his personal views, Pakistan could not remain oblivious to threats to its security and territorial integrity.
–Agencies