Committed to countering terror groups: Pak army chief assures US

February 10, 2017

Washington/Islamabad, Feb 10: Pakistan is committed to countering "all militant groups" operating within its territory, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has assured US Defence Secretary James Mattis during their first telephonic conversation.

Gen (retd) Mattis reaffirmed the importance of bilateral military relationship during his conversation with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, the Pentagon said. "Gen Bajwa reiterated Pakistan's commitment to counter all militant groups operating in its territory," Pentagon Spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said.

"Mattis recognised the significant sacrifices the Pakistan military has made in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and expressed appreciation for the Pakistan military's recent support for efforts to defeat ISIS-Khorasan Province," he said.

"Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral military-to-military relationship, and highlighted the importance of continuing to work together on counter-terrorism and regional stability," Davis said.

Pakistan Army spokesman Major Gen Asif Ghafoor said in a statement that General Bajwa and Secretary Mattis "had a twenty minutes telephone conversation".

He said they reaffirmed the commitment towards the common goal of peace and stability in the region and discussed measures towards that end. Bajwa and Mattis also agreed on continued engagement at multiple levels.

"Secretary Mattis commended the sacrifices and resilience of the people and armed forces of Pakistan and appreciated the role Pakistan Army has played in battling the scourge of terrorism," Ghafoor said.

The army chief also congratulated the Secretary on his assumption of new responsibility and expressed the hope that his vast experience in the field will be of great value to the region, Ghafoor said.

Pakistan has been trying to establish a rapport with the new administration but so far without much success.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's close foreign policy aide Tariq Fatemi had visited Washington in December but could not meet any top official of then president-designate.

The only high-level contact so far between the two sides was a brief telephonic talk between Trump and Sharif, who had called the former to congratulate him after his electoral triumph.

The call became controversial after its transcript was issued by Pakistan. It is believed that Mattis knows Pakistan well as he served as head of the US Central Command and has been to the country many times.

In his confirmation hearing before the Senate, Mattis had emphasised on remaining engaged with Pakistan.

General John Nicholson, who leads the US and international forces in Afghanistan, has called for a "holistic review" of the relationship with Islamabad.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

5 facts about 24-year-old Indian student shot dead inside his Audi in Canada

News Network

April 14,2024

New Delhi: A 24-year-old student from India was shot dead inside a car in Canada's South Vancouver, the local police have said. The Vancouver Police in a statement said Chirag Antil, 24, was found dead inside a vehicle in the area after neighbours reported hearing gunshots.

"Officers were called to East 55th Avenue and Main Street around 11 pm on April 12 after residents heard the sound of gunshots. Chirag Antil, 24, was found deceased inside a vehicle in the area. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing," the police said.

Chirag Antil's brother Ronit told reporters that Chirag seemed happy when they spoke on the phone in morning. Chirag later took out his Audi to go somewhere. That was when he was shot dead.

The Congress students' wing National Students' Union of India chief Varun Choudhary in a post on X tagging the Ministry of External Affairs requested for assistance to the student's family.

"Urgent attention regarding the murder of Chirag Antil, an Indian student in Vancouver, Canada. We urge the Ministry of External Affairs to closely monitor the progress of the investigation and ensure that justice is swiftly served," Mr Choudhary said.

"Additionally, we request the ministry to extend all necessary support and assistance to the family of the deceased during this difficult time," he said.

Chirag Antil's family is raising money through the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to repatriate his body to India, local media reported.

Haryana resident Romit Antil, the brother of Chirag Antil, told CityNews that he was a kind-hearted person.

"My brother and I had a great relationship. We used to talk every day, day and night. I spoke to him last before the accident happened. He was kind of happy, he never had any issues or fights with anyone, ever. He was an extremely polite person," Romit Antil told CityNews.

Chirag Antil came to Vancouver in September 2022. He just finished MBA at University Canada West, and recently got his work permit.

Here are 5 facts about Chirag Antil

1.   Chirag Antil was a resident of Sonipat, Haryana.
2.   He was the youngest son of Mahavir Antil, a retired employee of the Sugar Mill Department of the Haryana Government.
3.   Chirag moved to Vancouver in 2022 to pursue higher studies at the University Canada West (UCW), in British Columbia.
4.   After completing his MBA, he started working at a company in Canada after getting a work permit.
5.   Chirag's brother Ronit shared in an interview that his younger sibling was a "kind-hearted" person. "I spoke to him last before the accident happened," he said and added that Chirag sounded "happy".

Comments