Pak Army, ISI chiefs brief Shehbaz on China, Afghanistan ministers’ meet

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum briefed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on national and regional security matters and the upcoming visits of Chinese and Afghan Foreign Ministers over the next week.

The two top military officials held a meeting on Tuesday with Sharif at the Prime Minister’s Office, Dawn reported.

Informed sources said the army chief and the spymaster briefed the premier also on the eastern and western borders’ situation and the armed forces’ efforts to combat terrorism.

Sources said Gen Munir also briefed the premier on his maiden visit to China and an earlier visit of the ISI chief to Beijing, Dawn reported.

The military leadership also apprised Sharif of the upcoming visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang to Pakistan, the sources said.

Qin’s first-ever visit comes after the ISI and army chiefs paid separate visits to China last month.

During Gen Munir’s last week trip to Beijing, which came as Pakistan faces political and economic turmoil, the Chinese leadership assured Pakistan of its help to come out of the crisis.

During the four-day trip, the army chief visited the headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army force, and had a detailed meeting with its commander, reports Dawn news.

Lt Gen Anjum also visited China on April 11-12.

In the meeting, the army and ISI chiefs briefed the Prime Minister on the Chinese Foreign Minister’s upcoming visit, the security arrangement of Chinese people working on various projects across the country and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, sources said.

Qin is likely to arrive in Islamabad after attending a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Foreign Ministers in India and is expected to hold strategic talks.

Meanwhile, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will visit Islamabad at the end of the week for talks with Pakistani and Chinese officials.