At the Pentagon today, Lloyd Austin Chief, the US Secretary of Defense, will host a “honor cordon” for Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
General Bajwa, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), will meet with the heads of defense and intelligence when he is on a week-long visit to the US.
Austin will host a “honour cordon” and welcome the COAS to the Pentagon on the steps of the River Entrance, according to the US Department of Defense website. Additionally, the event will be covered by the media.
What is Honor Cardon?
Honor cordons in the US are typically only given to the president, vice president, statutory appointees, generals, or flag officers of the nation’s armed forces. The cordon is also made available to foreign dignitaries who hold roles that are comparable to those of these US officials, as well as on occasions when such ceremonies advance world peace.
In Washington, the army chief met with high-ranking members of the Biden administration. The army chief began his journey by meeting with UN representatives in New York on Friday after arriving in the US.
Although the Pakistani government has kept quiet about the visit, sources told the publication that the army chief began meeting with important figures in Washington, DC, on Monday.
Gen. Bajwa will remain in the US for a few more days, according to officials who talked to the paper on the condition of anonymity. The trip was also described as significant since it demonstrates the “strong relations” between the two nations. Sources stressed that although US-Pakistan relations were evolving, their defense and security ties remained solid.
According to the sources, the army commander’s trip to the US has been postponed at least three times in the past year owing to scheduling conflicts. The sources also stated that the army leader will meet with officials from the defense and security sectors during this trip. General Bajwa last traveled to the US in 2019.
