- The COAS advised PTI leaders to take up political issues with the government.
- The Army chief was approached by the KP CM for an exclusive meeting.
- Security issues discussed at unscheduled PTI-COAS meeting.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was briefed about what happened during Army Chief General Asim Munir’s recent meeting with PTI leaders, according to a highly placed government source.
The source, who was contacted by News to check whether the Prime Minister was aware of this recent interaction between the COAS and PTI leaders, said the Prime Minister was informed about what was discussed in the meeting.
The prime minister was informed, according to the source, that there was no agenda for an exclusive meeting of PTI leaders with the army chief. After the law and order meeting with different political leaders, it was said, the Army chief was approached by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for an exclusive meeting with him and the president of his party, Gohar Ali Khan.
The Prime Minister was told that the army chief was forcing them, but when PTI leaders spoke about PTI problems, they were told to take up political issues with the government. The army chief told them he would not be interested in such issues, the source close to the prime minister said.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar had confirmed last Thursday that he had called on Army Chief General Munir as well as KP CM Gandapur.
Gohar, who earlier denied it, admitted it only after Imran Khan told the media that lawyer Gohar and Ali Amin Gandapur had met the army chief during the latter’s recent visit to Peshawar .
Imran Khan reportedly added that lawyer Gohar had presented all the party’s questions and demands directly to General Munir.
Gohar, however, later said that security issues were discussed in the meeting without explaining what was his relevance in sitting down with the army chief and the chief minister in a meeting to discuss the security issues.
Khan called direct negotiations with the establishment a positive step towards resolving the ongoing issues.
However, some PML-N members of the negotiating committee, including Rana Sanaullah and Irfan Siddiqui, insisted that PTI leaders were not encouraged to discuss political issues or what Khan had said about the meeting.
Before Khan’s confirmation of this important meeting, News had reported that Gohar and Gandapur had an exclusive meeting with three very important people.
The source claimed that a meeting of great importance had taken place and that these clandestine meetings would continue. In the upcoming meeting, a federal minister and two important personalities would reportedly meet the PTI side.
However, the outcome of these meetings depends on the future policies of the PTI and its political style.
Originally published in The News
