Islamabad, Nov. 6 (TNS): Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa agreed that force will not be used to disperse protesters in Islamabad during a high-level meeting on Sunday, local media quoting sources reported on Sunday.
During the meeting, the top civilian and military leadership exchanged views on the matter and tried to formulate a plan of action.
The two officials discussed the issue of whether firearms should be used by army personnel. In its order, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) “restrains use of ‘firearms’ during clearance operation”, as per Item 8 of its “judgment of writ petition number 3914 of 2017”.
The COAS affirmed that that the army will act according to the law and Constitution of the country, sources added.
Both officials agreed that the issue should be resolved in a peaceful manner.
The COAS also expressed concern over restrictions placed on TV news channels and suggested that the prohibition be removed, sources said.
The army chief also suggested that the findings of the Raja Zafar-ul-Haq committee should be made public.
The army chief was on a visit to the United Arab Emirates and cut short his trip to reach the country last night, sources said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chaired a high-level meeting to evolve a strategy to tackle the situation in the federal capital and other parts of the country following the launch of an operation.
The meeting chaired by the prime minister was attended by Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal along with district administration and police officials from the twin cities.
