Army chief arrives in Kabul to hold talks with Afghan officials

KABUL: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa arrived in Kabul on Monday to hold talks with Afghan officials, according to Afghan media reports.

The Afghan peace process and Washington’s plans to pull out all US troops will likely come under discussion.

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Washington announced plans last month to pull out all US troops by Sept. 11, with Afghan officials saying the Taliban stepped up attacks across the country following the announcement.

On Saturday, bombings outside a school in the western part of the Afghan capital, Kabul, killed at least 68, most of them students, and injured more than 165 others.

Earlier today, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) United Kingdom (UK) General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter called on Gen Bajwa and discussed with him developments in the Afghan peace process.

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According to the ISPR, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation particularly current developments in the Afghan Peace Process, and measures to further enhance bilateral and defence cooperation were discussed during the meeting.

COAS has lately returned from Saudi Arabia, where he called on Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud during his official visit.