Pakistan army_ ISI have secret meeting with opposition leaders

Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI head Lt Gen Faiz Hameed held a secret meeting with the key opposition leaders just days before a multi-party conference and asked them to refrain from dragging the military's name into their political differences with Prime Minister Imran Khan_ a media report said on Tuesday. The Dawn reported that Bajwa and Hameed held the meeting on September 16 in which about 15 politicians_ including Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari_ were present. Railways minister Sheikh Rashid_ while confirming the meeting and its participants_ said it was held to discuss the impending changes in the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan_ a move opposed by India. However_ the opposition used this opportunity to flag its concerns about other issues_ especially the military's alleged interference in politics and allegations of persecution of its leaders on the pretext of accountability. Rashid was one of the ministers who attended the meeting_ the report said. Political observers linked the timing of the meeting and its disclosure with the Opposition's multi-party conference held here on Sunday in which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif bitterly criticised the Army_ saying there was  a state above the state in the country . Criticism by other Opposition leaders_ in comparison to Sharif's remarks_ was relatively subtle. Sharif is currently in London for medical treatment. Sharif_ 70_ the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo_ has been living in London since November last year after the Lahore High Court granted him permission to go abroad for four weeks for treatment. Despite the meeting with the Army chief_ a 26-point declaration issued at the end of the Opposition meeting later_ however_ contained assertions about ending  establishment's interference in politics and  no role of armed forces and intelligence agencies in future elections. Following the multi-party conference_ the major Opposition parties demanded Prime Minister Imran Khan's immediate resignation and launched an alliance to hold a countrywide protest movement to oust his government. Gen Bajwa clearly told the participants of the meeting that the Army was not in any manner linked to the political processes and had no involvement in matters concerning election reforms and accountability_ the report said. He said the military only responds to calls for assistance by the elected civilian government and it would continue doing so irrespective of who is in the office. He also conveyed that no one would be allowed to create chaos in the country_ it said. Bajwa said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chief and election commissioner were picked up by political leaders represented in Parliament_ therefore they needed to be careful in choosing them. On Monday_ Gen Bajwa met Prime Minister Khan but the Prime Minister s Office did not issue any statement on the meeting.