Imran Khan & Bajwa's gang visits ISI's HQ; Pakistan PM insists 'no pressure from Army'

'Naya' Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday visited the headquarters of the country's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) where he was briefed about the latest security situation. His office said that a "comprehensive briefing was given to National and Military leadership on the regional and national security situation."

Imran Khan was accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Planning Minister Asad Umar, Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Nadeem Raza, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi and Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza. 

They were briefed by ISI chief Lt General Faiz Hameed. According to news agency PTI, Khan appreciated the efforts of ISI for national security and expressed his satisfaction over professional preparedness. Khan has been regularly visiting the ISI headquarters since taking office. He made the first visit on September 12, 2018, less than a month after becoming the Prime Minister.

'No pressure from Army': Imran Khan

Meanwhile, amid rising discontent in the country over the military establishment interference in the politics and governance, Imran Khan said that there has been no pressure from the Army in making the foreign policy. Khan, who is often called as 'selected PM', said that Pakistan's foreign policy today was centred around the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) manifesto, The News International reported.

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"The Army hasn't [directed] me to do one thing which I did not want to do," he said. "I would have resisted to the Army if they exerted pressure on me. The entire foreign policy [being implemented today] is mine, you can check with the PTI's manifesto," he said in an interview. Pakistan Army has often been accused of meddling in the foreign policy of Pakistan.

"There was pressure on us to take a side in a conflict of any Muslim countries, we said we would remain neutral and play our role in uniting Muslim countries instead," he said. The interview comes at a time when Pakistan's Opposition has upped the ante against the government and the Army.

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