CDF Munir Briefs US Commission on Pakistan’s Role in Afghan Conflict

• Field Marshal Asim Munir briefed a visiting US commission on the security challenges Pakistan faced during the conflict in Afghanistan.
• The commission is reviewing the United States’ 20-year involvement in Afghanistan.
• The delegation acknowledged Pakistan’s sacrifices and its contribution to regional stability.

Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir met a delegation of the US Afghanistan War Commission at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Monday, the military’s media wing said.

The delegation, led by the commission’s co-chairs Shamila N Chaudhary and Dr Colin F Jackson, is reviewing the United States’ 20-year engagement in Afghanistan. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Munir outlined Pakistan’s experience of the conflict and the security challenges it faced over that period.

He said Pakistan’s regional perspective should be included in any assessment of the conflict’s strategic, diplomatic and operational dimensions. The meeting also covered Pakistan’s support during the conflict, the regional security situation and developments in Afghanistan relevant to the commission’s review.

The delegation acknowledged Pakistan’s longstanding role and sacrifices during the conflict and appreciated its continued contribution to regional peace and stability, ISPR said.

The meeting comes amid Pakistan’s concerns over a rise in cross-border attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to prevent militant groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan and says the Afghan authorities have not taken effective action against groups responsible for attacks on security personnel and civilians.