Islamabad: Pakistan`s army chief said on Monday his country had no interest in "controlling" Afghanistan, launching a robust defence of its frequently criticised efforts to combat Islamist extremist groups.
In a rare address to foreign media, General Ashfaq
Kayani said peace and stability in its western neighbour --
where US and NATO forces are battling a Taliban insurgency --
were crucial to Pakistan`s long-term interests.
"We want Afghanistan to be our strategic depth, it
does not imply controlling Afghanistan," he said.
"The way we understand it, if Afghanistan is peaceful,
stable and friendly, we will have our strategic depth because
our western border is secure... no one has been able to
control Afghanistan in that sense in its history."
He said Pakistan had offered to help the United States
and NATO train Afghan security forces.
"We can`t wish for anything for Afghanistan that we
don`t wish for ourselves," he said, adding that Pakistan does
not want a "Talibanised" Afghanistan, albeit without
elaborating further.
Kayani defended Pakistan`s efforts saying 2,273 of its
military personnel had been killed in offensives since the
nation joined the US "war on terror" after the 2001 attacks on
the United States.
"What the world can do to help Pakistan is have a
proper understanding of our concerns and issues," he said,
adding that while other nations may only have a short-term
interest in Afghanistan, it affected Pakistan`s future.
"For me, Afghanistan is my past, my present and my
future -- it might not be so for others," he told reporters.
PTI
