Islamabad: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani met on Saturday, their
second meeting since the memo scandal which sparked off a
tense stand-off between the civilian and military leadership.
The informal meeting between Zardari and Kayani at the
presidency took place after the ceremony to award
Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) to naval chief Admiral Muhammad
Asif Sandila in "recognition of his long meritorious
services".
The President, who is the nominal supreme commander of
Pakistan’s armed forces, came face-to-face with the powerful
army chief at the reception following the ceremony.
Zardari and Kayani held informal talks on Pakistan-US
relations and the country's economy during the meeting.
The two leaders discussed a parliamentary panel's
recommendations for resetting Pakistan-US relations in the
aftermath of last year's cross-border NATO air strike that
killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, sources said.
Zardari and Kayani also discussed the country’s economy
and recent parliamentary proceedings, the sources said.
The two had earlier met on January 14, in a move seen as
an attempt to resolve the tense stand-off between the
government and the powerful military.
Last week's meeting, which lasted for about an hour, was
the first between the two since the memo scandal triggered
tense confrontation between the two sides.
That meeting was followed by another one between Zardari
and Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff Committee.
TV news channels today beamed footage of a smiling
Zardari and Kayani shaking hands. Kayani was flanked by the
navy and air force chiefs and Gen Wynne as he spoke to
Zardari.
PTI
First Published: Friday, January 20, 2012, 22:37