COAS Gen Raheel in discussion with Premier Nawaz at the PM House. PHOTO: INP
The top civil and military leadership has resolved to complete the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project and provide every possible security to the vital scheme.
Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif Friday called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the PM House, where internal security as well as security of the CPEC project came under discussion.
The two expressed the resolve to thwart all internal and external conspiracies against the corridor project.
It is believed that the civil-military leadership took stock of the Karachi situation and considered how things will unfold in case the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain were to end up behind bars in the money-laundering case instituted against him in London.
The civil and military leadership exchanged views on how to tackle the situation and reiterated their vow to continue the operation in the city come what may.
The army chief and the premier also discussed the imminent critical phase of the military’s Operation Zarb-e-Azb.
A source said Gen Raheel informed Nawaz about the latest situation in Shawal Valley and discussed other related issues.
He said Shawal Valley, which is a thick forested gateway of Afghan and Pakistani Taliban for carrying out terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan, was being vacated. “Terrorists have started vacating the valley and are fleeing to Afghanistan.”
The source said the Shawal Valley operation would force the Afghan Taliban to come to the negotiating table with the Afghan government to resume their talks. “The military is also mulling over conducting an operation against the Afghan Taliban if they refuse to resume dialogue with the Afghan government.”
Gen Raheel and Nawaz reportedly agreed that the premier should convene a high-level huddle on September 10 to review the progress of the National Action Plan’s implementation.
The meeting will be attended by the top civil and military leadership as well as all four provincial chief ministers, sources said.
The press secretary to PM Nawaz, however, said he could not confirm the premier’s schedule regarding the September 10 meeting.
Earlier this month, Gen Raheel and PM Nawaz had held a detailed meeting to discuss Pakistan’s relations with its neighbour Afghanistan as well as the operation under way in Karachi, particularly after PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari blamed Nawaz for “immobilising” the Sindh government and warned him of “dire consequences”.
Two days later, the civil and military leadership held another meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2015.
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