RAWALPINDI, Aug 23 (INP): Pakistan does not want material or financial assistance from the US, but needs to be trusted and treated with respect, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa told US Ambassador David Hale on Wednesday. The two had a meeting at the army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, where Hale briefed Gen Bajwa on the US's new South Asia policy announced by President Donald Trump a day earlier, according to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations ? the military's media wing. While announcing the new Afghan policy ? which calls for greater troop deployment and Indian involvement in Afghanistan ? Trump had lambasted Pakistan for offering for offering safe havens to “agents of chaos”. “We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organisations,” the US president had said. Responding to the invective, the army chief said: "We are not looking for any material or financial assistance from the US, but trust, understanding and [an] acknowledgement of our contributions." According to the ISPR statement, the COAS highlighted the importance of peace in Afghanistan for Pakistan and highlighted the efforts made by Pakistan to that end. The army chief added that such efforts were "not [meant] to appease anyone but [were taken] in line with [Pakistan's] national interest and policy," the ISPR statement said. Gen Bajwa further said that collaboration between all stakeholders in the key to bringing the war in Afghanistan to its logical conclusion, the ISPR statement said. Hale told the COAS that the US values Pakistan's role in the so-called "War against Terror" and seeks the country's cooperation in resolving the Afghan issue, the statement added. A day earlier, the ambassador had similarly briefed Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Washington's new policy and statements made by Trump regarding Pakistan. During the meeting, Asif had told the ambassador that Pakistan would continue to work with the international community to eliminate the menace of terrorism. INP/AJ =================================================== NA-120 by-polls: ECP to seek army deployment at polling stations ISLAMABAD, Aug 23 (INP): Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to write to interior ministry to deploy army personnel at polling stations on September 17 for NA-120 by-polls. According to the sources, Returning Officer has recommended the commission to have army positioned at the polling stations to counter possible clashes between workers of two major contenders, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Reportedly, the commission has decided to write to the ministry for the purpose. Kulsoom Nawaz of PML-N and Yasmin Rashid of PTI among other candidates are to contest by-polls in coming month for the National Assembly (NA) seat that fell vacant following Nawaz Sharif’s ousting on July 28 by the top court. Nawaz Sharif was de-notified by the commission last month in accordance with verdict of the apex court. Court s verdict was delivered after a six-member committee of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) filed its report after probing the assets of the first family of Pakistan for two months. INP/AJ