Nato not to conquer Afghanistan: Admiral Giampaolo

ISLAMABAD :Chairman Nato Military Committee Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola here Thursday said that Nato forces in Afghanistan are not there to conquer the country. He denied of providing arms to Afghan Taliban to use against Pakistani security forces. "We do not want to conquer but help to restore peace in Afghanistan," he told a press conference.

He said achieving peace in Afghanistan was not only in the interest of the people of Afghanistan but the region in particular and the whole world in general. He said that Nato was in Afghanistan on the request of the Afghan Government and "we will not stay one day more if the government doesn't want us to be there."

He said he couldn't give any time frame for the pull out of Nato troops from Afghanistan. "We are there in rebuilding state of Afghanistan," he said adding, "we are not there to kill Taliban but to protect people of Afghanistan." Admiral Paola was highly appreciative of Pakistan's role in fight against terror and expressed the desire to expand and build enduring relationship with the Pakistan. When his comments on the drone attacks were sought, the Chairman of

Nato Committee said that this subject was not in his domain. However, he advocated that sanctity of the jurisdiction of a country should be maintained. Answering a question regarding alleged theft of arms from Nato depot in Afghanistan and some of them being subsequently used against Pakistan security forces by the terrorists, he said, "we are not providing arms to terrorists in Afghanistan or Pakistan."

The theft of arms in the international market was on and global network of terrorists uses these weapons. "May be I don't have specific details about the theft of Nato weapons," he added.

He said that the government and armed forces of Pakistan were sincerely engaged in dealing with the scourge of terrorism in effective manner. The Admiral thanked Pakistan for its support to Nato forces employed in Afghanistan and lauded the role and sacrifices made by Pakistan Armed Forces and other Law Enforcement Agencies in striving to bring stability in the disturbed tribal regions.