Inside story: Army chief’s response on MQM, Karachi operation in NSC meeting

ISLAMABAD: During a conversation with a federal minister, the Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif clarified that the ongoing Karachi operation was being conducted as per law and the army was not supporting nor against any party, a source revealed to Geo News on Tuesday.

During the National Security Committee meeting, which was also attended by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a federal minister showed concern about the impression that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was being kept out of mainstream politics deliberately.

On this, the source quoted COAS as saying, “I assure you, neither is the army supporting any party nor against it".

General Raheel Sharif said that after becoming the army chief, he had issued strict orders to the army to remain neutral and apolitical.

"Dr Farooq Sattar is a Member of National Assembly and the chief of MQM-Pakistan," the source claimed the federal minister as saying.

 "MQM-Pakistan must not be cornered so much so that another Altaf Hussain is created," he added.

The federal minister was quoted as saying that MQM-Pakistan was the representative of the Urdu speaking community.

In response, the army chief was quoted by the source as saying that the operation in Karachi was being conducted according to the law and by consensus.

Army chief further said that it was not their job to create or destroy political parties.