Pakistan Army Chief, visting US commander discuss bilateral military ties
Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa (File Photo).
Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa met with Commander US Centcom General Michael Erik Kurilla and discussed military-to-military ties between the two countries, Pakistan's military media wing said on Thursday. General Bajwa held a meeting with the US commander at General Head Quarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, less than a month after both officers held a telephonic conversation on issues concerning military cooperation between the two sides.
Geo News reported the meeting discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security situation, stability, defence and security cooperation. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the discussion also featured Pakistan-US military training exchange programme.
This visit of the US commander comes amid reports that Bajwa is likely to visit Washington. Since the visit has not yet been officially confirmed, neither side has announced the agenda of the talks Gen Bajwa is likely to hold in Washington, the Dawn newspaper reported.
The Pakistan army chief recently sought help from the US leadership for further economic engagement amid the worsening economic situation in the country. Bajwa had approached the US for help in securing an early disbursement of funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to prevent the south Asian country from a looming economic disaster.
Media reports said Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif persuaded Bajwa to talk to US authorities and use his influence for the early disbursement of IMF funds. The Pakistani premier and army chief Bajwa also discussed other options on how to secure the country's economy from getting into a crisis-like situation, The News International reported citing sources.
Bajwa telephoned US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and appealed to her to expedite the disbursal of USD 1.2 billion funds, the report said. The move by the Pakistan Army chief comes as the cash-strapped country is gripped by a deep economic slump due to a shortage of foreign reserves.