Imran told Siraj march may be cancelled if recount done on 10 seats: PM

National Security Conference: PM Offers Talks... by dawn-news

ISLAMABAD: Addressing the country's civilian and military leadership on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that after meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq had approached him and had also conveyed PTI’s concerns. Nawaz said that Siraj had told him of Imran agreeing to call off the march if recounting was carried out on 10 seats. However, PTI’s Shireen Mazari has denied that any such demand was made by the party, adding that the party’s demands would be announced by Imran Khan on August 14. The premier said he was open to discussion on the subject, adding that Imran Khan is welcome for negotiations. Prime Minister Sharif also said that the decision for Operation Zarb-i-Azb was taken after the attack on the airport in Karachi. He added that a national consensus existed on the operation and it enjoyed public support. The premier said the government fully recognised the army’s sacrifices in the war against terror. He further said that after the 2013 elections, a new era had dawned and for the first time in the country’s history, a federal government was working in full cooperation with the provinces and their respective leaderships. The premier said opposition queries and concerns were always welcome within legal parameters, adding that these should not be turned into battles. Pakistan cannot afford any more confrontations as it is dealing with the scourge of terrorism, a debilitating energy crisis and an already weak economy, he said. 'IDPs, NWA operation should not be put on the backburner' Speaking to the media after attending the meeting, Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said that political leaders discussed in detail the overall situation in the country, including the ongoing military operations, the law and order situation, as well as the political situation. Sherpao said that leader agreed on ensuring peace in the country, and that any measures taken should be within the Constitution to make sure democracy is not derailed at any cost. Leaders also agreed that putting important issues — including the ongoing military operations and the matter of internally displaced persons (IDPs) — on the backburner would be detrimental for the country. Today's briefing was convened by the government for updating the political leadership about the ongoing Operation Zarb-i-Azb against militants in North Waziristan and other challenges to the national security. Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Malik Baloch were present at the meeting and leaders of parliamentary parties were attending the briefing. Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak was absent from the gathering along with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif who couldn't make it to Islamabad on account of bad weather conditions in Lahore. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who was also in Lahore couldn't make it to the meeting. From the military side, the meeting was being attended by Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, ISI Director General Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam, Director General Military Operations Maj Gen Amir Riaz and other senior officers. The briefing, which comes days ahead of the Azadi March planned by the PTI, would provide an opportunity to the civilian and military leadership to exchange views on the political crisis in the making.