Islamabad: Seeking to dispel the impression of a confrontation between them over the memogate scandal, Pakistan Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani and Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani held a lengthy meeting following which they said their divergent views on the issue should "not be misconstrued as a standoff."
The Gilani-Kayani meeting, which lasted over three hours last night, came after the government and military submitted their responses to the Supreme Court on the secret memo, which was sent to the US military seeking its help to prevent a
possible coup in Pakistan following the May 2 American raid that killed al Qaeda chief Osama bin laden in Abbottabad.
A statement issued by the Premier's office after the meeting quoted Gilani and Kayani as saying that their divergent stands on the memogate issue "should not be
misconstrued as a standoff between the Army and government".
Gilani also said he had taken "serious note of the rumours regarding a confrontation" over the issue of the secret memo and that he "strongly rejected the notion".
In an indication that the government was keen to address any differences with the military over the memogate scandal, the statement said: "The Prime Minister and the Army chief underscored the significance of national unity to address the
challenges faced by the nation."
The differing stands adopted by the government and the military on the scandal became evident in replies submitted by them to the Supreme Court yesterday.
Gen Kayani and ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, in their responses, sought an inquiry into the memo.
The government, in its reply, asked the apex court to dismiss a batch of petitions seeking an inquiry into the controversy.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 17, 2011, 13:21