Top North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) commanders arrived here on Wednesday on a two-day visit to discuss with President Pervez Musharraf and the Pakistani military high command the situation in Afghanistan and evolve a new strategy on the war against Talibanism and terrorism. The four NATO and ISAF commanders, who arrived here, are General Egon Ramms, General David J Richards, General John Craddock and General Dan K McNeil. Gen Richards is the British outgoing head of ISAF, and he has been replaced by Gen McNeil, a four star American general. General Ramms has just taken charge of the Allied Joint Air Force Command Brunsseum, and General Craddock is the supreme allied commander in Europe. This is the first time since NATO and ISAF started their operations in Afghanistan that four top commanders are visiting Pakistan together.
It was learnt that peace and security in Afghanistan, apart from the movement of the Taliban, would be discussed. “The visit by NATO commanders is part of their ongoing consultation with Pakistan on the situation in Afghanistan,” government sources told Daily Times. It was also learnt that the commanders would discuss Pakistan’s proposal to fence and mine the Pak-Afghan border.