PM briefed on recent meeting between army chief and PTI leaders

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been briefed on the recent interaction between Army Chief General Asim Munir and PTI leaders, according to a high-ranking government source.

The source, who spoke to The News to confirm whether the prime minister was aware of the meeting, revealed that the premier had been informed about the discussions that took place during the meeting between General Munir and the PTI delegation.

The briefing revealed that there was no prior arrangement for an exclusive meeting between PTI leaders and the army chief. The source explained that after a law and order meeting involving various political leaders, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur approached General Munir for a one-on-one discussion, accompanied by PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan. The army chief reportedly agreed to meet with the PTI leaders but made it clear that political issues should be addressed with the government, not the military. General Munir allegedly told them he would not engage in political matters, according to a source close to the premier.

PTI Chairman Gohar confirmed the meeting last Thursday, which had been initially denied by party officials. Gohar admitted to the meeting after PTI leader Imran Khan mentioned it publicly. Khan had claimed that Gohar and Gandapur presented the party’s issues and demands directly to General Munir during the latter’s visit to Peshawar.

Gohar, however, later clarified that the discussions were centred around security concerns, without specifying why he, alongside the KP chief minister, was involved in a security-focused conversation with the army chief.

Imran Khan described the direct engagement with the military leadership as a positive step towards resolving ongoing issues. However, members of the PML-N negotiation committee, including Rana Sanaullah and Irfan Siddiqui, disputed Khan’s version of events, emphasising that the PTI leaders were discouraged from discussing political matters during the meeting.

Before the confirmation of the meeting by Imran Khan, The News had reported that Gohar and Gandapur had met with three key figures in an exclusive meeting.