Pak army chief asks US to bomb TTP Afghanistan hideouts

Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif speaks to General John Nicholson, Commander Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, and Richard Olson, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, who called on him at GHQ in Rawalpindi.

Army chief General Raheel Sharif on Friday urged the visiting American military officials and diplomats to target the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan terrorists who now operate from the Afghan side of the border, the military's media wing said.
General John Nicholson, Commander of Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, and Ambassador Richard Olson, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, met Gen. Raheel amid tension between the two countries over the recent US drone strike in Balochistan which killed Taleban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour as he returned from Iran.
The US officials arrived in Islamabad after a series of harsh statements by the Pakistani leaders over the May 21 drone attack, which came at a time when efforts were under way to start peace negotiations in Afghanistan.
"Expressing his serious concern on the US drone strike in Balochistan as a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty, the (army) chief highlighted as to how it had impacted the mutual trust and respect," an Inter-Services Public Relations statement said after the meeting.
The army chief underlined that the US action was counter-productive in consolidating the gains of Pakistan military operation in the tribal regions.
"All efforts for durable peace in the region have to be synergised with shared commitment and responsibility in order to make them successful," the statement quoted Gen. Raheel as telling the American officials. He raised the demand for targeting the Tehreek-e-Taleban Pakistan (TTP) and its chief Maulvi Fazlullah in their bases in Afghanistan and reiterated Pakistan's resolve not to allow hostile intelligence agencies' attempts, especially "(Indian) RAW and (Afghan) NDS, of fomenting terrorism".
Pakistani security officials say that almost all TTP terror leaders have fled to Afghanistan after a series of military operations in the tribal regions.
The regional security situation, with particular reference to border management with Afghanistan, and peace and stability in Afghanistan in the post-May 21 US drone strike environment came under discussion, the military said.
The army chief told the US officials that Operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched against terrorists of all hues and sanctuaries of terrorists have been dismantled without discrimination.
"All stakeholders need to understand Pakistan's challenges with regard to porous border, inter-tribal linkages and decades-old presence of over 3 million refugees," Gen. Raheel said.
He told the visiting dignitaries that it is unfortunate that Pakistan is blamed for instability in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan has always expressed its readiness to work for a long-term peace process for Afghanistan under the Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) framework.

• Pakistan