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Pakistan army chief: Our war was not US war

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, Feb 2, IRNA -- Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said Monday anti-terror fight is not part of the US war and Islamabad has the will and resolve to overcome menace of terrorism in country with public support.

He was talking to a group of foreign correspondents on his return from Brussels, where he had gone to attend the conference of NATO commanders on a special invitation.

Kyani said that Pakistan has suffered the maximum in terms of human and economic losses due to terrorism and violent extremism, but it has not dented the resolve of the nation and its armed forces to fight and finish the terrorism in accordance with own national interests.

Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said that Pakistan’s objective is to have peaceful, stable and friendly Afghanistan.

“We cannot wish for Afghanistan anything that we don’t wish for Pakistan”. He reaffirmed that geography, culture and history can neither be separated nor wished away. He emphasized that Pakistan’s operations in 2009 have helped improving situation in Afghanistan in terms of squeezing of spaces, better control of areas and continuous logistic flow.

He informed the NATO commanders that Pakistan’s strategic paradigm needs to be fully realized adding, "we are the second largest Muslim nation in the World located in a strategic region defined by competing interests and civilizational crossroads, with a prolonged history of conflict".

In his concluding remarks, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said that Pakistan has contributed to bring peace and stability in Afghanistan.

"We have also offered to train the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police, as we have the capacity and wherewithal to do so. He reiterated that Pakistan should be trusted and enabled".

He said that he has conveyed the concerns, challenges, contributions and constraints of Pakistan in its fight against the terrorists. He said that he had high lighted the key issues of the conflict that needed to be fully understood and addressed. He drew the attention of the forum towards the huge sacrifices made by the people of Pakistan and its armed forces, due to the effect of ‘Blow Back’.

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End News / IRNA / News Code 934447