Pakistan Army chief, Pompeo discuss bilateral ties, Afghanistan

Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed bilateral ties and the need for political reconciliation in Afghanistan in a phone call.

In the call made by Pompeo on Wednesday, topics discussed also included "the strategy in South Asia and the importance of targeting all militant and terrorist groups without distinction", State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

This is the first time that a high-level engagement between US and Pakistan officials took place since May when the two countries imposed travel restrictions on each other's diplomats working at the respective embassies, Geo News reported.

The US-Pakistan linkages have been tense of late, and aid that Washington sends to Islamabad has been suspended as well, primarily after President Donald Trump's administration accused the latter of providing safe havens to terrorist outfits.

The US has also demanded that Pakistan take action against the Haqqani network as well as the Taliban terror groups.

Pakistan, however, has denied all such allegations, maintaining that it would continue to wage its war against terrorism.

--IANS

and/ksk