ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The National Security Adviser Lt. General (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua on Thursday stressed that it was imperative for the United States and Pakistan trust each other and continue intelligence sharing and cooperation.
Talking to a US delegation led by the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Ambassador Alice Wells and also including US ambassador to Pakistan David Hale in Islamabad, Nasser Janjua stressed that Pakistan and the United Sates had a common cause in seeking early closure to the decades-old conflict in Afghanistan
The adviser apprised Alice Wells about his recent visit to Kabul where he had in-depth, positive and constructive discussions with the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and other senior government officials.
Lt. General (retd) Nasser Janjua once again welcomed the Afghan president’s peace offer and termed it as a great opportunity to end a perpetual conflict. He called it as a “light at the other side of the tunnel”.
Nasser Janjua said that the need of the hour for all of us is to work together and end the miseries of Afghanistan and its people by seeking an early closure of the conflict instead of winning it. He assured that Pakistan with all the regional countries and US will support the new peace initiative.
On counter-terrorism cooperation, Nasser Janjua apprised about the ongoing efforts of Pakistan and its unswerving commitment to eradicate all forms of terrorism in its own national interest. In this context, he stressed the need for trusting each other and continuing intelligence sharing and cooperation.
The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia agreed on the need to support President Ashraf Ghani’s peace offer and to make efforts for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan through political reconciliation.
The US’ policy on Afghanistan, she explained, was also meant to ultimately bring the insurgents to the peace table for negotiations on finding a peaceful and enduring solution. She encouraged good relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan which will help them to work in a cooperative framework.
Alice Wells assured that United States valued its bilateral relations with Pakistan and was ready to extend cooperation on all issues including the repatriation of refugees and the common objective of peace, development and stability in South Asia.
