Pakistan preparing for ‘tough talk’ with Afghanistan

The Pakistani authorities are preparing for a ‘tough talk’ with the Afghan government officials as the country’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa is mulling to visit Afghanistan, it has been reported.

Sources privy of the development have said Gen. Bajwa will visit the country in an appropriate time with the main motive behind his visit would be to amend the fractured ties between the two nations.

A senior security official speaking on the condition of anonymity told a local newspaper that Gen. Bajwa will likely visit the country after the Trump administration announces its Afghanistan policy.

The source further added that Gen. Bajwa will also deliver a clear message to the Afghan leadership to ‘stop blaming Pakistan for your own failings’.

This comes as the Afghan officials have long been criticizing Pakistan for allowing the Afghan militant groups, specifically the Taliban and Haqqani terrorist network leaderships use its soil for planning and coordinating attacks in Afghanistan.

The US Department of State earlier said problem regarding the safe havens of the terrorist groups in Pakistan still persists.

State Department spokesperson Mark Toner made the remarks in response to a question regarding Afghan officials concerns about the attacks being carried out in Afghanistan using the Pakistani soil.

Endorsing Afghanistan’s view that terrorists are able to strike at whenever they want to because of the existence of safe havens, terrorist safe havens inside Pakistan, Toner said “Well, it continues – so the short answer to your first question is yes, and I think we’ve been very frank and very open about publicly saying to – to Pakistan that it needs to not provide any safe haven to groups that will or are intent on carrying out attacks on Afghanistan.”