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The chief minister termed the fresh meeting ‘quite beneficial from the point of view of Punjab’s security

ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif called on Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Friday and later said he had met the general “openly, not secretly”. “There should be no apprehensions about the meeting because it had already been announced,” the PML-N leader told reporters at Benazir International Airport before leaving for Lahore.

The ISPR issued no press release about the meeting which took place at the Army House, the residence of Gen Kayani, in Rawalpindi.

Sharif had earlier held unannounced meetings with the army chief which had surprised political circles and sparked criticism.

After one such meeting in October last year, PML-N detractors had termed it a ‘violation’ of Charter of Democracy singed by former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

The chief minister termed the fresh meeting “quite beneficial from the point of view of Punjab’s security”.

PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal told Dawn that issues relating to internal and external security, war against terrorism and training of Punjab police and Elite Force by army personnel had been discussed.

Sharif could not attend a consultative meeting of his party because of his engagement at the Army House.

Mr Sharif is reported to have told Gen Kayani that the army could use the Punjab Training Centre for training police and Elite Force. They also discussed the military operation in Waziristan.

The chief minister stressed that increasing the capability of Punjab police was necessary to combat militancy and terrorism in the province.

The PML-N spokesman said that security of military installations in Punjab was also discussed at the meeting.