Senior PML-N leaders call on Army chief in Rawalpindi: ISPR

RAWALPINDI: Senior leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Thursday evening, the ISPR confirmed.

The military's media wing said Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif met General Raheel Sharif at the Army House between 4:00PM and 5:30PM.

"The delegation briefed COAS on the progress of investigation and recommendations related to planted story of National Security breach of 6 Oct 2016," said the statement.

The meeting was also attended by DG ISI Lt-General Rizwan Akhtar, said the ISPR.

Sources told Geo News that the prevailing situation in the country was also discussed during the high-level meeting.

Related: Feeding of Dawn story a national security breach: Corps Commanders

The meeting follows concern expressed by the military's top commander over what they termed the "feeding of a false and fabricated story of an important security meeting", calling it a breach of national security.

The reference was made to a news story published in English newspaper Dawn on October 6, in which journalist Cyril Almeida had written about an alleged a rift between civilian and military during the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting over the issue of tackling jihadi outfits.

The story drew an outpour of criticism with the military stating that it was fed to the reporter and demanded investigations into it. It cost Almeida placement of his name on the Exit Control List for less than a week, before the government eventually lifted his travel ban.

Thursday's meeting between the Army chief and top PML-N leaders comes at a time of heightened political tensions between the government and opposition parties.

Earlier today, law enforcers cracked down on workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and arrested over a hundred student activists of the opposition party.

Also read: Police cracks down on PTI, arrests scores of workers in Islamabad

The PTI has given a call for a massive protest in Islamabad on November 2, in a final showdown aimed at forcing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down and present himself for accountability in the wake of the Panama Papers disclosures.

Neither of the two – the government or the PTI – seem willing to demonstrate flexibility with regard to the protest in Islamabad.

PTI chairman Imran Khan has warned of dire consequences if he is arrested or if the government uses violent measure to stop protestors in the federal capital.