WASHINGTON: Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) Gen Rashad Mahmood begins a week-long visit to the United States on Monday for talks aimed at strengthening the relationship between the two militaries.

The visit coincides with a stepped-up military campaign in Pakistan to deal with the Taliban militants who attempted last week to seize the country’s largest airport.

According to diplomatic sources, Gen Mahmood is coming to the United States on the invitation of his US counterpart, Gen Martin Dempsey, and he will visit several military bases in the country besides holding talks with key officials in Washington.

The visit will help “improve the networking between the top military leaderships of the two allied nations”, said an official source. “It will also help create a better understanding between the two militaries.”

Gen Mahmood will also visit the headquarters of the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida, where talks are expected to focus on the current situation in the Pak-Afghan region.

The Centcom oversees all US military operations in the area.

In Washington, Gen Mahmood will have a detailed meeting with Gen Dempsey and later with all three services chiefs.

Meanwhile, the US media reported on Friday that Islamabad had encouraged the Americans to conduct drone attacks in North Waziristan that killed 16 militants.

Pakistan has officially condemned the drone strikes but the media called it a “joint US-Pakistan operation”.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2014