KABUL, FEB 13 (DNA) – Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa has reiterated that path to regional peace and stability passes through Afghanistan, an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.

Addressing Chiefs of Defence Conference in Kabul on Tuesday, Gen Bajwa said that regions develop as a whole, not individual countries. He said that Pakistan has eliminated all terrorist sanctuaries from its soil, however, residual signatures of terrorists, who take advantage of the presence of 2.7 million Afghan refugees and absence of effective border security coordination, are also being traced and targeted through ongoing operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.

General Bajwa assured that Pakistani territory is not allowed to be used against any other country and Pakistan expects the same in reciprocity.

He said that collaborative approach and persistence is the answer to all challenges, for which Pakistan is ready to play its part.

The conference was attended by the top US commander in Afghanistan Gen John Nicholson, Commander US Central Command (Centcom) Gen Joseph Votel and the army chiefs of Afghanistan and central Asian republics Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The conference concluded to continue cooperation for peace and stability in the region.

Earlier this month, Pakistan and Afghanistan had “good discussions” during Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) talks.