The Pakistan Army Chief on Wednesday (US local time) met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon…reports Asian Lite News
President of the Baloch Voice Association Munir Mengal has said that Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir should be questioned in the US about enforced disappearances, military operations, extrajudicial killings and systematic abuse of rights in Balochistan.
He said Pakistan should be asked to end its occupation of Balochistan.
“Pakistani Army Chief should be questioned in America about #enforceddisappearances , #militaryoperations, #extrajudicialkillings and systematic abuse of rights in #Balochistan. #Pakistan should be asked to end occupation of #Balochistan,” the Baloch Voice Association President wrote on ‘X’.
The Baloch Voice Association is an NGO registered in France.
This comes as Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir is currently on a visit to the US. The Pakistan Army Chief on Wednesday (US local time) met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.
A brief statement was issued by the Pentagon after the meeting, saying: “Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir at the Pentagon today, where the two officials discussed recent regional security developments and potential areas for bilateral defence cooperation.”
General Munir left Islamabad on Sunday, reached the US capital on Tuesday afternoon after spending two days in Britain. Details of his engagements in the UK have not been made public, as it was apparently a private visit, according to Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper.
The army chief’s visit was also discussed at a Pentagon briefing on Tuesday, where a journalist reminded press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin would have his first face-to-face meeting with Pakistan’s new army chief and asked what the US defence chief was looking for in this meeting.
“Will they be talking about the deportation of Afghans from Pakistan or potentially buying munitions to go to Ukraine?” the journalist asked.
General Ryder replied, “I don’t have any meetings to read out from the podium. Certainly, as you know, when the secretary meets with foreign counterparts and leaders, we provide a readout. So if we have a readout to put out, we’ll certainly do that.”
Another journalist asked, “How would you assess US-Pakistan military relations at this point?” “Pakistan continues to be an important partner in the region. And so obviously, through Centcom, we continue to stay in close contact with them, particularly when it comes to issues like counter-terrorism,” General Ryder said, as per Dawn. As per Dawn, during his visit, General Munir is also expected to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
He may also meet senior members of the US House and the Senate. (ANI)