General Joseph Votel, the head of the US military's Central Command. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
A top US military official, Commander US Centcom General Joseph Votel, said on Thursday that cooperation from Pakistan remains vital in achieving peace in Afghanistan.
“This is a South Asia strategy, and cooperation from Pakistan remains key to accomplishing the overall objective of a durable political settlement in Afghanistan,” said the senior US military official while speaking to the media during a Department of Defense briefing on the US Army's South Asia strategy at Central Command's headquarters in Florida.
“We continue to work closely with Pakistan to help them fulfil the important role that they have indicated they want to play. Now is the time for them to step forward," said Votel while reiterating the US administration's stance of asking Pakistan to do more.
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He said while there is much more to be done in Afghanistan, the progress US forces are making in the conflict-stricken country shows that the strategy in the region is working.
Votel added that that Afghanistan’s security forces are improving but need more time to contend with Taliban and militant Islamic State fighters. “They are fighting and they are taking casualties, but they are also very offensive-minded, inflicting losses on the Taliban and [ISIS-Khorasan] daily, while expanding their capabilities and proficiency every day,” Votel said.
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Speaking of international support for US forces in Afghanistan, General Votel said international partners agreed to extend funding to Afghan security forces through 2024 at the recent NATO summit. “This is noteworthy and will provide us with both time and resources to fulfil the intent of the president's South Asia Strategy,” the Centcom commander said.
Pakistan-US relations opened on an uneasy note in 2018 when Trump accused Pakistan of giving the US “nothing but lies and deceit” and providing a safe haven for terrorists from Afghanistan. Earlier this month Ambassador Alice Wells from the US State Department visited Pakistan and met with civil and military officials to seek help for the Afghan peace process.
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