Strong signs of thaw in standoff

President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Saturday discussed country's internal and external security affairs, it is learnt. After the meeting speculations were rife that moves could be made to defuse the standoff between the government and the military establishment.
The meeting also widely seen as an attempt aimed at neutralising the heightened tensions between the PPP-led coalition government and the military. According to reports of a foreign news agency, the Army Chief in the meeting also showed resentment and complained to the President about Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani's recent statements related to the military and its leadership. According to Kayani, such statements are irresponsible and harmful for the country. The Army Chief said that the Prime Minister should make clear the contents of his statements about military, that news agency reported.
However President's Spokesman Farhatullah Babar denied that and said that a section of media had speculated on the contents of discussion between the President and army chief in the meeting on Saturday. Commenting on it, spokesperson Babar said that the reports, without quoting a source, were hypothetical, based on conjectures and in the realm of speculation.
The meeting was seen as a breakthrough in the wake of burning Memogate scandal - source of confrontation between civil government and military establishment. But recent statements of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani about the army contributed to escalating confrontation between PPP-led coalition government and the military establishment. General Kayani called on President Zardari at the Presidency on Saturday before he attended a Defence Committee of the Cabinet.
President's spokesman, however, issued only a one-line handout about this highly critical meeting in words: "The current security situation was discussed." The sources told Business Recorder that over an hour-long meeting was the first between the two since the memo scandal led to a tense confrontation between the two sides.
The Army Chief had last conversation with President Asif Ali Zardari on telephone when he met Prime Minister Gilani on December 16 to discuss the issue of Nato supply lines. It was at that meeting that he had a telephonic conversation with President Asif Ali Zardari when the latter was in a Dubai hospital for treatment.
According to sources, the political leaders of PPP, its coalition partner PML-Q and some foreign diplomats played a key role in arranging a meeting between President Zardari and Army Chief Kayani. The sources said that both the dignitaries discussed the issues of Nato supplies, drone attacks in Pakistani territory, law and order situation in the country and terrorism in tribal areas.
Both the leaders also discussed new terms of engagement with US/Nato in war on terror and security situation in the region as well as Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan. Sources said the Army Chief also briefed the President about his recent official visit to China. According to sources, an official meeting of the Army Chief with Prime Minister Gilani is due within the next few days.