No militant group to be spared, Gen. Bajwa assures Mattis

islamabad — Pakistan is committed to countering “all militant groups” operating within its territory, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has assured US Defence Secretary James Mattis during their first telephonic conversation.

Gen. (retd) Mattis reaffirmed the importance of bilateral military relationship during his conversation with Chief of the Army Staff, the Pentagon said in Washington.

“Gen. Bajwa reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to counter all militant groups operating on its territory,” Pentagon Spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said. “Mattis recognised the significant sacrifices the Pakistan military has made in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and expressed appreciation for the Pakistan military’s recent support for efforts to defeat Daesh-Khorasan Province,” he said.

“Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral military-to-military relationship, and highlighted the importance of continuing to work together on counter-terrorism and regional stability,” Davis said.

Pakistan Army spokesman Maj-Gen. Asif Ghafoor said in a statement that General Bajwa and Secretary Mattis “had a twenty minutes telephone conversation”.

He said they reaffirmed the commitment towards the common goal of peace and stability in the region and discussed measures towards that end. Bajwa and Mattis also agreed on continued engagement at multiple levels.

“Secretary Mattis commended the sacrifices and resilience of the people and armed forces of Pakistan and appreciated the role Pakistan Army has played in battling the scourge of terrorism,” Ghafoor said. — PTI