The US would continue its cooperation with Pakistan for “regional security and stability”, said US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin when he dialed Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa on Wednesday to discuss regional security scenario. The Pentagon, the US Department of Defense, in a statement released on Wednesday said Secretary Austin discussed the situation in Afghanistan with Bajwa, Dawn said. 

Austin reaffirmed the importance of the US-Pakistan bilateral relationship and expressed appreciation for the Islamabad role in Afghanistan peace negotiations, according to the statement released by the Pentagon.

Both leaders discussed the importance of regional stability and the desire of the United States and Pakistan to continue working together on shared goals and objectives in the region, it added.

US President Joe Biden on 15 April had already announced the unconditional withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. The movement of US troops out of Afghanistan is expected to begin weeks later. Foreign troops will end their presence in the war-torn country by 11 September this year.

The phone call came after Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq, who earlier the week visited Kabul, is now in Doha for a meeting with the Taliban.

The Pakistani leadership is reportedly unhappy with the Taliban for remaining intransigent on peace efforts to end the conflict through political means, according to a report in The Express Tribune.