Pakistan Intel Chief Gives 8-Hour Briefing on Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - Senior Pakistani military and intelligence officials told members of Parliament during a closed, eight-hour briefing Thursday that they are losing influence over the Taliban and building up border defenses for fear of increased violence in neighboring Afghanistan once the U.S. withdrawal is complete.

Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, director general of Inter-Services Intelligence, gave the briefing, with army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on hand to answer questions. They told the parliamentary committee that Pakistan was trying to persuade the Taliban to negotiate a settlement to the conflict, but the country’s influence is waning, according to a statement from Pakistan’s Information Ministry and VOA sources inside the meeting. They also said Pakistan has fenced 90% of its border with Afghanistan to shield it from an increase in violence once U.S. and NATO forces are gone.