ISLAMABAD - Leaving the politically volatile provincial capital, where both Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek are preparing for their marches slated for today (Thursday), Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif flew in to have a meeting with Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif in the federal capital.
He, along with Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan, drove straight from Islamabad International Airport to Army House to discuss the overall political situation in the country where, in the face of serious security threats, both Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri are adamant to continue with the protest plan despite the fact that Lahore High Court has also barred them from holding their respective Azadi and Inqlab marches.
Political analysts are according great significance to the meeting and terming it an attempt by the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leadership to give an impression that army is standing with the government.
Sources in the ruling PPML-N said that the meeting was unscheduled because Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan was about to address the press conference when on the call of Mian Shahbaz Sharif he went to airport from where both the leaders drove to Army House and had meeting with army chief for well over an hour.
Sources further said that both leaders discussed the overall political situation in the country with specific reference to the PTI and PAT protest plan and the security threats to the Azadi and Inqlab marches by miscreants about which the security agencies have been issuing alerts to the interior ministry.