Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa met top civil and military leadership during his recent visit to the United Kingdom and discussed "matters related to the regional geopolitical environment with special reference to Afghanistan", read a statement issued by military’s media wing.

Gen Bajwa reportedly visited UK Ministry of Defence and had separate meetings with UK Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Special Representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan Owen Jenkins and US Resolute Support Mission Commander General John Nicholson.

“The UK leadership and Resolute Support Mission commander appreciated and acknowledged positive role played by Pakistan and its army towards peace and stability,” the statement added.

“Pakistan is a peace-loving country and shall continue to play its positive role in bringing about enduring peace and stability in the region,” the army chief was quoted as saying by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Gen Bajwa emphasised that “peace in Afghanistan is a shared interest”, and that “Pakistan will continue its positive role and is ready to work closely with Afghanistan”, said ISPR.

He said Pak-Afghan bilateral border security mechanism is critically important and both countries need to formulate this at priority.

“Gen Bajwa shared various border control and management measures which Pakistan has undertaken and urged the requirement of similar measures on the other side of the border to defeat the common enemy,” read the ISPR statement.