Jilani suggests slower US troops’ drawdown

KABUL would be welcomed in both Kabul and Islamabad.

The state-run Pakistani Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) wire service reported that Jilani told journalists that Pakistan is shouldering a heavier responsibility in its counterterrorism efforts along the Afghan border amid US drawdown from Afghanistan.

While the number of American troops has decreased in the transition, Pakistan has bolstered its troops presence from 145,000 troops to around 170,000.

Speaking at a Christian Science Monitor Breakfast meeting, Jilani noted the situation in Afghanistan remains challenging and Pakistan’s fulfillment of greater responsibility comes despite the fact that the country’s army is already stretched to the limit.

Any drawdown must take into the ground realities and it should contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan and “we have reason to believe things are proceeding exactly in that direction.”

Jilani said while any decision on the withdrawal is the sovereign choice of the US and Afghanistan the “effort should be made that not to create any space for any militant activity to increase.”

PAN/Monitor/rm

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