Afghan army chief General Sher Muhammad Karimi today said that terrorists pose a common threat to Afghanistan and Pakistan and close cooperation and coordination between the two countries are required to counter them.
"We see around us, almost every day that the world and our region, especially Afghanistan and Pakistan, face the greatest threats and dangers from individuals and groups that are not affiliated directly with any state," he said.
"This new enemy, which is the common enemy for all of us and of the system in our region, does not recognise boundaries and is not bound by any religious and moral principles," he said at the passing out parade of army cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy, where he was invited as the chief guest.
He said countering and ultimately defeating the menace of militancy required sincere and close result-oriented cooperation and coordination between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
He also urged non-interference in each other's affairs and respect and shared interests among sovereign states.
Karimi, who arrived yesterday on a two-day visit to Pakistan, was the first Afghan army chief to speak as the chief guest at the Pakistan Military Academy. He also met a group of six Afghan army cadets receiving training here.
Defence cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan has increased in months following the Taliban attack at a school in Peshawar that killed at least 150 people, mostly students.
