RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Friday that terrorists were common enemies of Pakistan and Afghanistan and a trust-based coordinated response was needed against them rather than a blame game.

He said that Pakistan had undertaken operations against terrorists of all hue and colour and there were no safe havens inside Pakistan being used against Afghanistan.

Talking to a nine-member Afghan media delegation at the General Headquarters, the army chief said that Afghanistan was Pakistan’s brotherly neighbour. He was of the view that media could play a vital role in mitigating the negativity created by inimical forces, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement.

Emphasising the need for an effective border management along the border, Gen Bajwa said that Pakistan had taken measures on its side of the border, including fencing and establishment of border forts and posts.

The Afghan delegation thanked the army chief for the candid discussion.

They acknowledged that such interactions were useful for understanding each other and said they were carrying back home a fact-based positivity through this tour.

The delegation was on a weeklong visit to Pakistan in coordination with the ISPR.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2017