PM, COAS discuss Zardari’s ‘anti-military’ tirade

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif discussed a recent ‘anti-military’ statement issued by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari over the telephone, sources said here on Thursday.

Highly-placed sources told Geo News that the premier paid tribute to the army chief over successes achieved by the security forces of the country in the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb against terrorists during the telephonic conversation on Wednesday evening.

Gen Raheel Sharif is currently on an official visit to Russia.

Commenting over the PPP leader’s statement, PM Sharif said that such comments against the armed forces of the country would not be tolerated at any cost.

Former president Zardari, in his address to PPP workers and office bearers earlier in the week, had warned against the party’s character assassination, saying if they started doing the same then no one would be spared including army generals.

Zardari went on to say that army chiefs come and go every three years but the political leadership is here to stay. "I don’t want the national institutions to weaken," he added.

“If attempts are made to agitate us then we’ll respond accordingly,” said the aggressive looking PPP co-chairman on Tuesday.

Paying homage to the Army over Zarb-e-Azb successes during his telephonic discussion with the COAS, the premier also said that the whole nation respects and loves the armed forces of the country.

The nation appreciates the Army’s sacrifices for the eradication of terrorism and restoration peace in the country, he added.