Armed forces to stay out of politics, says Gen Bajwa

Washington: Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has assured the nation that the armed forces have distanced themselves from politics and want to remain so.

The army chief also reiterated his pledge to leave after the completion of his second three-year term in two months, saying that he would do as he promised earlier. He made these remarks at a lunch at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington.

After the lunch, Gen Bajwa went to the Pentagon for a meeting with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

According to the ISPR, Gen Bajwa called on retired General Lloyd James Austin III, Secretary of Defence; Jacob Jeremiah Sullivan, National Security Adviser; and Wendy Ruth Sherman, Deputy Secretary of State.

During the meetings, matters of mutual of interest, regional security situation and bilateral cooperation in various fields were discussed.

The army chief thanked the US officials for their support and reiterated that assistance from “our global partners shall be vital for rescue/rehabilitation of the flood victims in Pakistan”.