Aug 10, 2021: Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Tuesday discussed the ongoing situation in Afghanistan amid escalating violence in the war-torn country.

According to a press release issued by the Pentagon, US defence secy. Lloyd Austin and General Bajwa had a telephone conversation to discuss the mutual goals of security and stability in the region.

The call comes at a time when the Afghan Taliban are winning military campaigns across the country, capturing six provincial capitals in a matter of days, and President Biden is standing firm on the US path to reverse the pace of the insurgency.

The Taliban’s advance may seem shocking at its own pace, but it was not unexpected in Washington as the US military completed its withdrawal from Biden by August 31.

During the call, Austin expressed “interest in improving Pakistan-US relations” and promoted a number of common interests in the region. The two sides also discussed bilateral defense relations with Afghanistan and regional security and stability.

On August 1, National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr. Moeed Yousaf said that Pakistan and the United States needed to work “more closely” in the face of the changing situation in Afghanistan.

No nation in the region other than Pakistan and the United States can work on common threats, such as instability in Afghanistan.

However, Afghan soil was being used against Pakistan and is still being used, which is a serious concern and needs to be stopped. Announcing security threats, he said the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) based in Afghanistan was a threat to Pakistan and there were groups targeting other parts of the world that were against US interests. He added that the two countries could work together in this domain.

The day before, the Taliban seized the sixth provincial Afghan capital after removing Afghan security forces from border towns and trade routes following the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces.

Taliban seized three provincial capitals over the weekend – Zaranj, the capital of the southern province of Nimroz, Sar-e-Pul, the capital of the northern province of the same name, and Talaqan, the capital of the northeastern province of Takhar.

They have already captured the northern provincial capital of Kunduz and the southwestern province of Helmand.