Pakistan will “assist” the Taliban to form an inclusive administration in neighbouring Afghanistan, country’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Saturday.
In a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab here, Bajwa said that Pakistan will “continue to fight for peace and stability in Afghanistan, as well as assist the formation of an inclusive administration”, the Pakistan Observer reported.
The two also discussed issues of mutual interest, regional security and the current situation in Afghanistan.
”Both sides agree to continue to seek ways of co-operation in the areas of defence, training and counter-terrorism,” the report said.
”The basis for the UK-Pakistan relationship is very strong – and the UK has the desire to take it to the next level. We also have a very clear and shared interest in the future of Afghanistan. We will judge the Taliban by their actions, not their words,” Raab said.
Bajwa’s remarks came as Pakistan’s intelligence chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed on Saturday visited Kabul, at a time the Taliban is struggling to form an inclusive government in Afghanistan.
The Taliban have postponed the formation of a new government in Afghanistan for next week as the insurgent group struggles to give shape to a broad-based administration acceptable to the international community.
The insurgent group was expected to announce the formation of the new government led by its co-founder Mulla Abdul Ghani Baradar on Saturday.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Friday that Pakistan has “supported and nurtured the Taliban”, adding that India and the United States are closely watching its actions in Afghanistan.
“The US is watching the situation very closely. They will obviously see how different players get engaged in the situation in Afghanistan. Pakistan is a neighbour of Afghanistan. They have supported and nurtured the Taliban. There are various elements that are Pakistan supported– so its role has to be seen in that context,” Shringla said during media interaction in Washington DC at the end of his three-day official visit.
