Washington: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has left for Pakistan after a successful visit to the US. This visit was more of a way to express the interests and normalcy towards the
US-Pakistan relationship.
According to international media, the trip highlighted the continuous efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries. The efforts started in July when top US officials and members of Congress visited the nation in the wake of the floods. Washington has also contributed $66 million in relief to Pakistan thus far.
The time of the visit was another point of discussion, with many people wondering why the Army Chief went to Washington at the tail end of his term.
However, these timing rumors have been denounced by Tamanna Salikuddin, who spent 12 years working for the US National Security Council and the State Department and later became the head of the US Institute of Peace’s South Asian program.
While talking to a private TV channel, she repudiated the illogics by saying Pakistanis are in constant search of nonexistent signals and connecting points. And that this visit was much anticipated but had to be delayed, and it has nothing to do with the General’s retirement
date.
General Bajwa arrived “during what will presumably be the last few weeks of his final term as Pakistan’s army leader”, according to Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center in Washington.
COAS pledges to retire at end of second term
He further stated: “The journey can be considered as an effort to help build up US-Pakistan relations, as well as to help pave his way”.
The Middle East Institute’s Marvin Weinbaum expressed sadness over Pakistan’s propensity to associate everything with internal politics.
“Confrontational politics carries on as normal”, he added, “instead of the unity needed to deal with Pakistan’s twin humanitarian and economic challenges.”
