Nawaz says army sought permission before meeting with Imran, Qadri (jhooya)
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Nawaz says army sought permission before meeting with Imran, Qadri[/h] By
Web Desk /
Azam Khan /
Peer Muhammad
Published: August 29, 2014
File photo of the premier at the Parliament. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: A day after the army chief was named mediator in the current political crisis, the prime minister clarified on Friday that it was Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan who had requested a meeting with army chief General Raheel Sharif.
There was a phone call from the army to Chaudhry Nisar when I was with him, and was informed that Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri have sent a request to meet the army chief, he said while addressing the National Assembly, adding that he conveyed to the army that he had no objection if the two leaders want to meet the army chief.
Nawaz further added that the army would have taken initiative whether or not the government had met with the military on Thursday (yesterday).
Governments come and go, nobody can be in power forever, the premier said.
Nawazs statements followed Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisars apparent justification for the armys involvement in the political crisis.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the interior minister said the armys role as mediator was based on demands from Qadri and Imran.
Bringing the army in to mediate was one of their (PTI and PAT) demands, Nisar said, adding the army is an apolitical institution, which is working to bring a peaceful and constitutional solution to this crisis.
The interior minister further added that the government would not make any decisions which go against the Constitution. Moreover, he said the PAT was using the Model Town incident as a weapon, and that their purpose was to spread chaos.
Meanwhile, in an impassioned speech in the NA, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah promised that the PPP would not bow down against undemocratic forces even if the government caves in.
Yesterday an effort was made to put a black mark on the government, he said, adding that the protection of Parliament and the Constitution was utmost important to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
