US Centcom, Pakistani army chief discuss regional security

The head of the US Central Command called on the Pakistani Army chief at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi Monday, and discussed important matters.

During the meeting between Gen. Lloyd J Austin and Gen. Raheel Sharif, matters of mutual interest, including bilateral defence cooperation and the overall regional security situation with special emphasis on Afghanistan, came under discussion, Dawn reported.

The Centcom chief lauded the sacrifices rendered by the Pakistan Army in the war against terror and operational gains in Zarb-e-Azb, which resulted in an effective degradation of terrorist networks.

Earlier, on arrival at the GHQ, Gen. Austin laid a floral wreath at Yadgare-e-Shuhada to to pay tribute to Pakistani martyrs.

The Centcom commander also met Pakistan defence secretary.

"Gen. Lloyd J Austin visited the defence ministry in Rawalpindi and held a meeting with Secretary Defence Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Alam Khattak," a spokesperson for the ministry said.

During the meeting, Gen. Austin offered condolences over the Dec 16 Peshawar tragedy and praised Pakistan's role in the war against terrorism.

The Centcom chief arrived in Pakistan on a two-day official visit and will also meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry tomorrow.

Defence sources said that Gen. Austin is visiting Pakistan to assess the latest security situation in the region in the wake of the Dec 16 Taliban attack on Peshawar's Army Public School, which left over 140 studenst and teachers dead, and to strengthen coordination between Pakistan and NATO forces in the post-US drawdown situation in Afghanistan.