KABUL, 11 May 2021, (TON): Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Kabul after his successful tour to Saudi Arabia, where Prime Minister of Pakistan along with him met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Deputy Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in Jeddah. Both sides discussed various issues including peace in Afghanistan and situation arising after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. 

Pakistan supports Afghan led-Afghan owned peace process based on mutual consensus of all stakeholders." Saudi Arabian consensus was important as the withdrawal of US and NATO forces is likely to change the canvas and have deep impact inside Afghanistan as well as the broader region as well as will also impact Riyadh’s interests when it comes to involvement of various stakeholders. 

During the visit General Qamar Bajwa carried out one to one meeting with Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation Chairman Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul. After the talks Abdullah Abdullah confirmed that General Qamar Bajwa assured him of Pakistan support for an inclusive power-sharing arrangement and elections as a right of Afghans to self-determination. He also met President Ashraf Ghani and offered Islamabad’s support for the Afghanistan peace process, amid growing violence with US withdraws its troops.

General Qamar Bajwa was accompanied by British Chief of Defence Staff General Nicholas Patrick Carter and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) head Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid. Pakistani side also offered intelligence sharing including assistance in Saturday’s bomb attacks outside a school in the capital Kabul that killed and wounded many including school children.