Pakistan COAS urges Mark T. Esper to avoid rhetoric
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RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa Wednesday urged US Secretary of Defence Dr. Mark T. Esper to “avoid rhetoric in favour of diplomatic engagement” as tensions between Tehran and Washington heighten after Iran’s attack on military bases housing American soldiers in Iraq.
A series of tweets by the DG ISPR on Twitter stated that the army chief received a phone call from Esper in which the two discussed tensions between Iran and the US that soared after the former retaliated over the killing of Al Quds commander Qassem Soleimani on Friday.
The tweet by DG ISPR said Esper told Gen Bajwa that though the US did not want conflict it “will respond forcefully if necessary”.
The military’s spokesperson tweeted that the army chief told the US defence secretary to pursue ‘diplomatic engagement’ instead of rhetoric.
The army chief also told Esper that Pakistan would like to play its part in the Afghan reconciliation process so that it does not get derailed and “the region goes towards conflict resolution instead of new conflicts”.
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