ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday said that Pakistan and Sri Lanka were probably the only countries who understand what it takes to defeat the menace of terrorism. The army chief is currently in Sri Lanka on a two-day official visit on the invitation of his Sri Lankan counterpart. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS held meetings with the Sri Lankan military leadership including the chief of defence staff and chiefs of all three services. Upon arrival, General Bajwa was given guards of honour at the headquarters of all the three services. The COAS also visited the Command and Staff College Sri Lanka and interacted with the faculty and the staff. During the meetings, the Sri Lankan leadership expressed its gratitude and appreciation for Pakistan’s unequivocal moral and material support during Sri Lanka’s successful war against terror. They also appreciated successes of Pakistan Army in ongoing fight against terror. The COAS highlighted that having cleared troubled areas from terrorists of all hues and colours, Pakistan was now going after their disorganised residual presence under Operation Radd-ul-Fasad. During the meetings, various new initiatives and ongoing projects were discussed to improve the existing defence relations between the two brotherly countries. Published in Daily Times, January 17th 2018.