Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani presiding over the Corps Commanders' Conference held at General Headquarters. — Photo by APP/File

ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: Army top brass met on Friday amid reports of Pakistan and the United States moving towards enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation following improvement in their relations. The meeting of corps commanders started late in the evening and was expected to continue late into the night.

As is the usual practice there was complete silence about the agenda of the conference. The standard statement from military’s public affairs wing, ISPR, said: “The monthly conference would discuss routine professional matters.”

However, events preceding the Friday session suggested that the agenda had something extraordinary. It was unusual for Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee to have met President Asif Ali Zardari ahead of the commanders’ conference.

The meeting was held against the backdrop of improvements in relations and more importantly the maiden visit of ISI chief Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam to Washington for engagements at CIA that have been described by both sides as ‘productive’.

Gen Islam was to brief the commanders on his discussions at Langley.

At his weekly media briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan said that subsequent to the visit of the ISI chief both sides were working on a number of proposals.

Opinion

Editorial

Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....
Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...