“Pakistan itself is victim of state sponsored terrorism, it strongly rejects allegations of employing proxies from its soil,” the Army chief said.
General Bajwa’s statement came during his meeting with US National Security Adviser, Lt. Gen. HR McMaster.
During his visit the US national security adviser pushed Islamabad to fight all terrorist groups equally and avoid using some of them as proxies in Afghanistan.
During the meetings, McMaster “stressed the need to confront terrorism in all its forms,” the US Embassy said in a statement.
“The US hopes Pakistani leaders will understand that it is in their interest to go after terrorist groups less selectively than they have in the past,” McMaster told Afghanistan’s Tolonews before the visit.
“The best way to pursue their interest in the country and elsewhere is through diplomacy not through the use of proxies and engaging violence,” McMaster said.
During the meeting, McMaster was briefed about Pakistan’s war on terror and its contributions to regional and global stability. He acknowledged the Pakistan Army’s efforts in eliminating terrorists and their infrastructure, the Inter-Services Public Relation said.
McMaster assured that the US will continue to support Pakistan in bringing peace and stability in the region, as well as the globe.
McMaster arrived in Islamabad on Monday on an unannounced visit, a day after he hinted the US could take a tougher stance on Pakistan.
During the meeting, Sharif welcomed President Trump’s willingness to help India and Pakistan resolve their differences particularly in relation to the disputed Kashmir region.
It was the first visit by a top member of President Donald Trump’s administration to Pakistan, and came after a stop in neighbouring Afghanistan where he suggested Washington may take a stronger line on Islamabad, for years seen as an unreliable US ally.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering new policies regarding afghanistan including a proposal to send additional troops to the country to end a stalemate with Taliban insurgents.
