Sharif discusses US visit, security issues at high-level meet

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today held a meeting with the army chief and other top civil and military leadership where he discussed the security situation and his upcoming US visit during which, Islamabad has said, it will raise the issue of stalled talks with India.

The high-level meeting chaired by Sharif to review the security situation of the country discussed the Prime Minister's visit to the US next week, official sources said.

The meeting decided that the "issues of Indian interference" in Pakistan and peace talks between Taliban and Afghanistan government will be discussed with the US officials, they said.

Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, Advisor on National Security Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, military spokesman Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa, and other senior officials attended the meeting.

The top civil and military leadership also discussed anti-terror operation Zarb-i-Azb, situation in Afghanistan and security along the Pak-Afghan border.

Aziz had earlier said that Sharif would discuss the stalled dialogue between Pakistan and India with US President Barack Obama along with a number of other issues during his visit.

Sharif is visiting the US on October 20-23. The visit is taking place on Obama's invitation.