National

Kayani meets Nawaz to discuss security threats to country

May 18, 2013

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Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Saturday met the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief and prime minister in waiting Nawaz Sharif in Lahore and briefed him on internal and external security threats facing the country.
According to party officials, Shahbaz Sharif was the only member from the Sharifs’ political team present in the meeting, held at the Model Town residence of the former Punjab chief minister, which on Saturday was hardly open for anybody else owing to security reasons.
The army chief, who arrived in plain clothes, also had lunch with the Sharif brothers.
PML-N officials privy to the development described the meeting as a good beginning from both sides.
“It was one such meeting in which participants get a chance to know each other,” a senior leader said.
Kayani congratulated Sharifs on their thumping victory in elections. Both sides expressed satisfaction over the peaceful and smooth transition of power in the country after the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government completed a five-year term.
In the meeting that lasted over three hours, Kayani briefed Sharifs on the internal and external security situation facing Pakistan. The briefing also featured the war on terror and the situation in FATA.
Nawaz Sharif lauded the role played by the army in extending security cooperation during the May 11 polls in the country and its efforts to strengthen democracy.
Kayani and the Sharifs unanimously declared drone attacks a sheer breach of the country’s sovereignty and stressed that these attacks should come to a halt.
Nawaz Sharif also presented his national charter to the army chief. Both sides reiterated their resolve to go alongside to sort out national problems. Kayani held out assurances of complete cooperation to Sharif and his government.
There was no official word on the meeting, either from PML-N or ISPR.
Being out of power for a long time, Nawaz Sharif would have been interested to know the security situation in the country with a looming threat of Taliban and the initiatives so far taken by the army.
Nawaz would also have been interested to know if Pakistan could stop or minimise drone strikes which have been a source of resentment for the masses.
On the other hand, the army leadership would have been interested to know what the future premier thought on regional politics, especially Pakistan-India relations.
There are several issues that will test the civil-military relations in the coming days. The trial of General Musharraf under article 6 of the constitution is one such slippery issue. It is not known if there was any exchange on this issue between Gen Kayani and Nawaz.
The big question mark likely to crop up in these relations would be the continuity of policies of the present security regime and whether the Sharifs had any role in mind for Gen Kayani to maintain the continuity.
Observers said the meeting was of paramount significance for it dispelled the impression created by certain circles on the mistrust between the army and the new government.
Earlier, Kayani made a lengthy phone call to Imran Khan and inquired about his health.