In response to a question about the recent meeting of the PML-N leaders with the army chief, she said as per her knowledge, the party leaders had met the army chief to discuss the issue related to Gilgit-Baltistan. She then quickly added: “I believe the issue of Gilgit-Baltistan is a political matter and political decisions should have been taken within parliament, not in the GHQ.” In response to another question whether the PML-N supreme leader was aware of that meeting, she had replied: “I don’t know [if] he was aware of it or he learnt it [after the meeting took place]. However, it is my persistent view that political leadership should never be invited or go to discuss these issues.”
Tension with establishment
Talking to reporters in Lahore, senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique admitted that the party had been trying to reduce tension with the establishment for the last two years.“We had tried our best to reduce tension [with the establishment] during the last two years. Whatever injustice had been done to us [PML-N] we showed restraint. And still we are trying that the opposing viewpoint should be presented without creating any bitterness [with the powers that be],” he said. Mr Rafique said that if someone wanted to resolve the matters it did not mean he was seeking any relief or deal. “It is the duty of the government to reduce political temperatures but this is being done by the opposition,” he said. PML-N’s Punjab president Rana Sanaullah termed Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid a security risk for the country, saying the latter had “embarrassed” many by divulging the details of an in-camera meeting between the army chief and the parliamentary leaders. He demanded registration of an FIR against the minister for disclosing the contents of the “off-the-record” meeting.
