ISLAMABAD: US Central Command chief General David Petraeus said on Monday he had discussed with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani operational aspects of US plans to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and reinforced his view that the civilian government in Pakistan did not face any threat.
Talking to a group of journalists after meetings with the prime minister and the army chief, the visiting US general declined to comment on speculations that the US had plan to carry out drone attacks in Balochistan.
This was the first high-level visit of any top US official after the recent announcement of the Afghan strategy by President Obama.
Gen Petraeus said that Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral, Mike Mullen, would visit Pakistan on Tuesday, followed by US commander in Afghanistan Stanely McCrystal, in a few days.
During his meeting with Gen Petraeus, the prime minister was assisted by the army chief. Gen Kayani also had a separate meeting with the US general.
Gen Petraeus said that besides military cooperation against the Taliban and Al Qaeda, the US was sharing with Pakistan details of the operational plan because it would have implications on either side of the border.
He praised the army, Frontier Constabulary and air force for the success they had achieved in operations against militants in Swat, Buner, Malakan, Mohmad, Bajaur and South Waziristan.
Pakistan has been seeking details of the implementation aspects of the US strategy on Afghanistan since its announcement two weeks ago.
Officials said the area of deployment of troops was the foremost concern of Pakistan because a significant deployment close to its borders might give rise to cross-border infiltration.
Gen Petraeus said he had also shared with Pakistani leadership the ‘impressive unity’ shown by the nation, all political parties, clerics and the armed forces in opposing the Taliban who, according to him, were threatening the writ of the government and trying to destabilise it.
In reply to a question if his belief that the army had no desire to wrap up civilian rule in Pakistan was based on his discussions with Gen Kayani, the US general said that although he did not directly ask Gen Kayani about this, he had been visiting Pakistan after almost 45 days and interacting with the military leadership and he never found any indication of that kind.
‘The army has always shown commitment to supporting the civilian government in Pakistan whenever the subject was remotely discussed,’ he said, adding that he was ‘quite confident’ about the future of the civilian government because he did not feel even a ‘sense of frustration’.
In reply to a question about Pakistan’s concerns that the US only shared outlines, and not details of operations across the Afghan border, Gen Petraeus said that one reason of his visit was to provide those details.
Asked if he was able to satisfy Gen Kayani over the concerns, he said: ‘I think so.’
He said his government was constantly providing updates to the Pakistani authorities on phone and during visits by senior military officials.
He said the US military authorities responsible for operational details were scheduled to have meetings with the Pakistani military leadership, but these were delayed for a few days in consultation with the military because of the terrorist attack on an army mosque in Rawalpindi.
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