Nawaz Sharif bars party leaders from meeting military leadership

LONDON: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif today (Thursday) has barred the party leaders from holding individual, private or delegation-level meetings with the country’s military leadership.

“If any meeting necessitated by national security or the constitution, it will take place after the approval by the party’s leadership and will be made public,” the PML-N supremo wrote on Twitter.

Nawaz Sharif further said that recent events prove once again how some meetings hidden behind seven curtains while others are being advertised. “This game should now stop,” he added.

پاسداری یاد کرانےکےلئے آئیندہ ہماری جماعت کا کوئی رکن،انفرادی،جماعتی یا ذاتی سطح پر عسکری اور متعلقہ ایجنسیوں کےنمائندوں سے ملاقات نہیں کرے گا۔قومی دفاع اور آئینی تقاضوں کےلئے ضروری ہوا تو جماعتی قیادت کی منظوری کےساتھ ایسی ہر ملاقات اعلانیہ ہوگی اور اسےخفیہ نہیں رکھا جائے گا۔2/2

— Nawaz Sharif (@NawazSharifMNS) September 24, 2020

He also said that he was prohibiting his party members from meeting representatives of military or associated agencies in order to fulfill requisites of the Constitution of Pakistan and to remind the armed forces to comply with their oath.

The statement comes a day after the military spokesman Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar revealed that PML-N leader and Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair had met Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa twice.

“Mr. Zubair twice met the army chief, once in the last week of August and then on September 7 in the presence of director-general ISI,” revealed military spokesman in a TV talk show on Wednesday.

Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar further said that both meetings were held on Zubair’s request. “During the meeting, both the personalities discussed political and legal woes of Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in the past few weeks,” he added.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Zubair also confirmed the meetings but he denied seeking any relief from the military. In an interview with a private news channel, the PML-N leader said that he met General Bajwa in his personal capacity because they are old friends.