A Corps Commanders' Conference was held at General Headquarters on Sunday night after clashes between police and opposition protesters seeking to topple the government. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif presided over the conference. While reaffirming its support to democracy, the conference reviewed with a serious concern the existing political crisis and a violent turn that it has taken, resulting in large scale injuries and loss of lives. Any further use of force will only aggravate the problem, according to commanders.

It was once again reiterated that the situation should be resolved politically without wasting any time and without recourse to violent means.

Army remains committed to playing its part in ensuring security of the state and will never fall short of meeting national aspirations.-PR

INP adds: The commanders underscored the need for finding a political solution to the current stand-off between the federal government, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). According to ISPR, the conference expressed serious concern over the existing political crisis and the violent turn it has taken, resulting in large scale injuries and loss of lives.

General Raheel Sharif took the commanders into confidence over his meetings with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, PTI Chief Imran Khan and PAT Chief Tahirul Qadri last week.

The critical meeting, brought forward a day has a special significance in the situation, given the fact that the military had been engaged in 'mediating' the crisis.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2014