Pakistani Head of Joint Chiefs: Ending the war is Sri Lanka’s “Great Achievement”

Wednesday, 9 April 2014 00:44 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan Gen. Rashad Mahmood says ending the near three-decade-long war from which Sri Lanka suffered is a “great achievement of the nation”.

He made these comments when he called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees this afternoon. Speaking further about Pakistan’s similar experiences, Gen. Mahmood said, “No other country understands better the sacrifices your country has made. Your success has a greater impact in the wider region. It’s a very big story that the rest of the world can learn from.”

Gen. Mahmood commended President Rajapaksa on the post-war developments in the North. “Your achievements have been very substantive on that,” he said. “One should look to the future.” The High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka Maj. Gen. (R) Qasim Qureshi, who accompanied Gen. Mahmood also commented on the development he saw in the Northern Province when he visited the region immediately before the provincial elections in September of last year. “I was very impressed by all the things that are happening there,” Maj. Gen. Qureshi said. Gen. Mahmood, while conveying to President Rajapaksa the best wishes of the Pakistani President and Prime Minister, said the two countries and the armed forces share a very strong relationship, adding that he hopes the relationship can further strengthen into other areas of cooperation as well. He also didn’t fail to extend to Sri Lanka his “profound congrats on winning the (T20 Cricket World Cup)” a few days ago. Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya was also in attendance at the meeting.