Security figures high in PM-COAS meet-up

Sources say meeting took longer than the scheduled time

ISLAMABAD:

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday at the Prime Minister House to discuss the recent surge in terrorist attacks in the country and other security matters, including the issue of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), among other things.

The meeting between the premier and the army chief has come a day after the Supreme Court tried to settle the polls controversy in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as it asked President Arif Alvi and K-P governor to set date for provincial assemblies’ polls after consulting with the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The top court’s decision has come at a critical moment when the government is trying to avoid elections in the province. The court verdict also coincides with the government’s efforts to counter PTI’s push for snap polls in the country amid a tumultuous political climate, runaway inflation and a surge in terrorist activities.

Since no formal statement, photo or video was issued after the closed-door meeting, sources familiar with details revealed that the meeting took longer than the scheduled time as it lasted one-and-a-half hour as opposed to a 30-minute slot.

Since army chief’s first meeting with the premier, they revealed that a new policy has been implemented, deciding that there will be no coverage of one-on-one meeting of the PM with the COAS, among others.

Separately, sources revealed that Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza also met Premier Shahbaz at the PM House on Thursday morning.

Though there is no official word on the one-on-one meeting, they said, the meeting lasted roughly half an hour, which was as per schedule.

Read more: Security forces kill two terrorists in North Waziristan

As per the new military-backed standard operating procedure (SOP), sources added, a statement or photo/video will be issued if other people are participating in any such meeting.

Previously, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Lt Gen Nadeen Anjum had asked all authorities concerned not to release his picture or video footage made during any official meeting to the media.

To the question what did the PM possibly discuss with the military chief behind closed doors, sources conjectured that issues ranging from security threats to resurgence of terrorism and from the deteriorating economic condition to the situation arising out of the Supreme Court’s judgment could have been deliberated upon.

They added that TTP’s resurgence and the recent visit of a Pakistani delegation to Kabul could also have been on the agenda.

After seeing a spike in terrorist attacks, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently led a high-powered Pakistani delegation, which included DG ISI, the foreign secretary and the special envoy on Afghanistan to Kabul and conveyed Pakistan’s concerns about TTP’s return and attacks in Pakistan.

Sources said that regional as well as country’s internal security situation also came under discussion amid resurgence of terrorism, including terrorists’ attacks in Peshawar and Karachi.

Two policemen and a Rangers man were among four people martyred, while 16 others sustained injuries, when terrorists, wearing suicide vests and carrying automatic weapons and grenades stormed the Karachi Police Office (KPO) on February 17.

The attack had come just weeks after a bomb blast at a police mosque in Peshawar killed over 100 people, mostly policemen.

The security has been beefed up in the country, especially, in the capital after the attacks.

Among other things, the sources claimed, scandalous campaigns against the institutions on social media were also discussed.

Surprisingly, following the PM-COAS meeting, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the government has decided to take strict legal action against all those “fugitive criminals”, who are supporters of PTI whether in Pakistan or abroad, running the “nefarious Indian agenda” against national institutions and its heads.

The interior minister stated that action was being taken on the instructions of the premier, saying the government condemns the anti-Pakistan campaign and efforts will be made to curb such drives.

Several members of the ruling government were approached for a formal comment about the meeting and on the situation arising after top court’s order but they did not respond.