ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Afghan military officials met in Bahrain this week to discuss efforts for peace in the war-torn country, Afghan media said.

The Pakistan army’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), in statement on Wednesday confirmed the presence of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hamid in Bahrain.

Afghan media reported that Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib, National Directorate of Security (NDS) Chief Ahmad Zia Saraj and Afghan National Army Head General Yasin Zia were also present in Bahrain while Gen Bajwas was there.

ISPR did not give details of the reported meeting between Pakistani and Afghan officials but said in a meeting with Bahrain’s military leaders, Pakistani officials discussed developments in peace talks to end the conflict in Afghanistan, including “necessary steps” to make the peace process “Afghan-led and Afghan-owned.”

General Bajwa also offered military training to Bahrain during a meeting with Bahrain National Guard Commander General Mohammed bin Isa Al-Khalifa and the kingdom’s National Security Adviser Major General Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa on Tuesday.

“COAS offered Pakistan’s complete support in achieving shared interests in bilateral security cooperation including training and capacity building,” the Pakistani military said in a statement.

According to Russian media, Pakistan will send a representative to Moscow for a March 18 ‘peace conference’ on Afghanistan where Afghan and Taliban leaders as well as representatives from China and the United States will push the peace efforts.