All eyes are on Army in Pak
Commanders meet after 3 die in Islamabad clashes
Amid rumours of military intervention, Pakistan’s top generals, led by Army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif, met on Sunday, setting the stage for a military- led solution to the persistent political crises as the Pakistan Tehrik- e- Insaf ( PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehrik ( PAT) continued to push for the ouster of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The seniormost generals met to discuss the situation and later all corps commanders were called for an emergency meeting in the evening, that was earlier due on Monday.
The Army has ruled Pakistan for over half its existence since 1947. The last spell of military rule ended in 2008.
Almost simultaneously, a high- level meet led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif decided to convene a joint sitting of Parliament on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing crisis and political disorder. Mr Sharif appreciated the role of the police in restricting protesters from attacking
Sharif summons Parliament to meet tomorrow, Imran expels 4 partymen
major government buildings in the heart of the capital after clashes and violence intensified since Saturday midnight.
On Sunday, meanwhile, PTI chief Imran Khan expelled party chief Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and three other leaders of his party for opposing his decision to storm the major government offices. Mr Hashmi had earlier said Mr Khan would be responsible if martial law was imposed in the country.
The night- long clashes
with Imran Khan vowing to fight till the end, asking Pakistanis to rebel against the “illegal” regime. Mr Qadri, meanwhile, alleged seven of his supporters were killed by the security forces, but this couldn’t be verified.
Ghulam Mustafa Khan, a former general, told Duniya TV that the commanders will discuss the entire security situation and try to determine if the civilian government could control it or not. “They will also decide the level of Army intervention,” he added.
Pakistan information minister Pervaiz Rashid said, meanwhile, that the government remained open to talks to end the crisis peacefully. “The government did not initiate the clashes. They turned violent and tried to enter sensitive government buildings, which are the symbol of the state,” Mr Rashid was quoted by Geo News as saying.