Iran-Pak defense ties to further strengthen in new Pak army chief tenure: Analyst

EghtesadOnline: A senior Pakistani analyst believes that cooperation between Iran and Pakistan on defense and campaign against terrorism would further improve in the tenure of new Pakistani army chief.

News ID: ۷۷۱۸۲۹

30 November 2016

In an interview with IRNA, Lieutenant General (retired) Talat Masood, said General Qamar Javed Bajwa would give a better priority to defense ties with friendly neighbor.

Pakistan's outgoing military chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Tuesday handed over the command of the army to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

“I think military to military relationship and cooperation in defense sector between the two countries can also improve in future and General Bajwa would give this a better priority,” said the analyst.

He said that he believes that the new chief would also support any improvement in Iran-Pak relations in trade, economic and political sectors.

The analyst said that new chief will try to improve relations with Afghanistan through building confidence in Afghanistan about Pakistan and he will also reciprocate if India gives any indication that it is not going to be proactive at the LoC (Line of Control the de fecto border between India and Pakistan in Kashmir region).

“He would also try to judge as to what India has to say on the LoC whether it wants to remain in an aggressive mood and keep it volatile or does it want to show little difference with the new chief,” he said.

He added that General Qamar Javed Bajwa must continue with the policy of former Army Chief General Raheel Sharif on fight against terror as he had fought the war against terror very effectively and he tried to defend the borders of Pakistani especially the Line of Control by showing caution but at the same time ensuring that if India initiate firing on the LoC Pakistan would reciprocate in the same way.

“One major achievement of General Raheel is that he carried out a successful military operation against terrorists and eliminated many of their hideouts and he tried to improve the security situation in Balochistan although incidents continue to occur but on smaller scale and now Balochistan is somehow better today than what it was,” he noted.

He said people of Pakistan except new army chief to ensure peace in the country and new chief will continue to combat terrorism with even greater enthusiasm and would try to protect and defend the borders from infiltration by the militants.