ISLAMABAD: Director General ISPR Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor clarified that Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa did not speak about distribution of money among released protesters of Faizabad sit-in, while briefing senators on security in an extraordinary in-camera session on Tuesday. The DG ISPR, while speaking in Samaa’s talk-show “Nadeem Malik Live”, said...

The DG ISPR, while speaking in Samaa’s talk-show “Nadeem Malik Live”, said that General Bajwa has not said that Rs.1,000 were distributed among each released protester on the directives of the Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

He said the meeting was held in a ‘very cordial environment’.

Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor said the army has reiterated that the democratic system of the country has no threat from the military.

Earlier, there were media reports that the army chief, while briefing the session, rejected all accusations pertaining to military’s role in the sit-in, saying that the allegations are baseless.

General Bajwa briefed the Senate Committee of the Whole House on national security during an extraordinary in-camera session presided over by Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani.

The brain-storming session lasted for four hours.

Later, Major General Asif Ghafoor told journalists that the Director-General Military Operations briefed the Committee of the Whole House for one hour. This was followed by question-answer session and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa also responded to queries by the law-makers.

He said there was a consensus that Pakistan is a strong country and we will have to move forward together.

He said the briefing covered geo-strategic security situation, war on terror and future strategy.

The Director-General ISPR said interaction between parliamentarians and the army leadership was held in a cordial atmosphere and described it as a good beginning.

He said the proposal for such an interaction was given by members of the Standing Committee on Defence of the two houses during their visit to GHQ in September this year. Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani had also extended an invitation to the Army Chief to brief the house. - Samaa