NATO Admires Pakistan’s Fight Against Terrorism
General Peter Pavel, Chairman Military Committee NATO, today said that Pakistan is an important and traditional partner of NATO and the scale of counter terrorism campaign by Pakistan is quite large with impressive results in this regard.
Pavel called on Pakistan Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Nawaz Sharif at PM House today. He said that Pakistan has shown great progress in the war against terror in the last couple of years. “The reconstruction and rebuilding process would be worth following in this regard,” Pavel said.
“We expect a broader political framework agreement between Pakistan and NATO to unlock further mutual military cooperation,” he added.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also raised the Kashmir issue. He said that India is creating problems and has resorted to double standards on the issue of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).
[ Also Read: How India Is Losing the Diplomatic Battle on Kashmir ]
Referring to India’s allegations that Pakistan-sponsored terrorists attacked and killed 18 Indian soldiers last month in the Uri area of Kashmir, Sharif said that India unfairly blamed Pakistan for Uri attack without investigating into the incident.
“India does not realise that the youth of IOK have re-energised the freedom struggle. Pakistan would continue to extend moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmir cause. The atrocities by the Indian forces have resulted into the loss of precious human lives and blinded hundreds through the use of brutal force,” said Nawaz Sharif.
[ Also Read: War-Like Situation Develops Between India and Pakistan ]
He said that the Pakistani armed forces have rendered matchless sacrifices in the war against terrorism while the ongoing military operation Zarb-i-Azb is the largest military counter terrorism offensive by any single country, which has broken the backbone of terrorists.
Operation Zarb-i-Azb is a joint military offensive conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various militant groups, including the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, al-Qaeda, Jundallah and the Haqqani network.
On the issue of eastern border (Indo-Pak border), NATO’s General Peter Pavel said that the world and the UN (United Nations) have to be consistent on principles and rules.
“I have listened to your (Nawaz Sharif) yesterday’s speech in the Parliament where you eloquently expressed the issue of Kashmir. The Kashmir issue has to be addressed as two nuclear powers are party to it and the world cannot remain indifferent and must be concerned,” said Chairman Military Committee NATO.
Photo courtesy: Pakistan PM House
