ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said that clash among state institutions was not in interest of the country.

Addressing the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Core Committee that met a day after special court’s judgement against former president Pervez Musharraf, the premier said government believed in supremacy of constitution and law, the official party sources said.

The premier further said state institutions should perform their responsibilities while remaining within their constitutional and legal limits.

He said government would help all institutions in fulfilment of their constitutional and legal responsibilities. He stressed that Armed Forces had given unprecedented sacrifices to ensure peace in the country and they had to solve all issues through unity. The prime minister also instructed party leaders and ministers not to issue statements on decisions of the special court and the Supreme Court.

Later, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, addressing a news conference after the meeting, said decision had yet to be taken that whether the government would first review decision of the Supreme Court on extension of chief of army staff’s tenure or go to the parliament to make a legislation on it.

“The core committee of the PTI discussed apex court’s decision (on COAS tenure extension) and decided that government’s parliamentary and legal teams should take a final decision whether it will go for a review petition or make legislation on it,” she said.

She, however, made it clear that government would take on board all opposition parties and develop a consensus before making any legislation on extension of COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure. “The division on this issue is not in interest of the country because an institution that guarantees the national security should not be made victim of politics.”

On November 28, the SC in a short order had said the parliament would determine the tenure, terms and conditions of service of the army chief through legislation.

The government’s legal team including Babar Awan and Barrister Ali Zafar briefed the core committee on all legal aspects, prosecution weaknesses and gaps of the decision of the special court that handed death sentence to former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, the special assistant said. “PM Imran Khan reiterated its resolve that PTI following its legacy would ensure rule of law as well as its implementation in a uniform manner,” she said, adding, the government would create ideal and conducive environment for uniform application of law.

The prime minister informed the meeting that institutions were pillar of the state and interest of the state was sacred and important and the government would ensure to strengthen state institutions. The meeting decided that legal team would inform about its course of action on special court’s decision to the core committee, the cabinet and the party, she said.

Briefing the media about other discussion held during the meeting, Dr Awan said the PM and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi informed the committee about reasons and background of government’s decision to pull out of Kuala Lumpur Summit. “Pakistan thinks that unity of Muslim Ummah and of more than 57 countries connected with Organization of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) was more important,” she said, adding, that Pakistan wanted to play its role to unite the Muslim world. She further clarified that Pakistan did not want to stand by interest of any individual rather it wanted to play its role for the common cause and overall betterment of Muslim Ummah.

The SAPM reminded that Pakistan, in past, was not invited to KL Summit four times when incumbent Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was not in government. She made it clear that Pakistan was not on the backfoot with regard to its relations with any Muslim country including Turkey but reminded that Saudi Arabia helped Pakistan when it was in deep financial crunch.

Dr Awan again hoped that opposition and government in consultations with Speaker National Assembly would fulfil its constitutional responsibilities in finalising names of chief election commissioner (CEC) and the two members of the Election Commission of Pakistan to make it a functional body. However, she said the procedure for appointments in ECP was in negation of the parameters set by the democracy as the parliament should decide the matter and not the two parties.

“The prime minister has instructed the government’s parliamentary team that this matter should be discussed and legal course should be adopted to get rid of this procedure,” she said indicating that PTI wanted to bring a constitutional amendment to change procedure of appointment of CEC and members of the ECP.

On issue of exclusion of PML-N Vice-president Maryam Nawaz’s name from no-fly list, she said the committee reinterred that neither anyone was above the law nor a sacred cow. The government would decide the matter under law and in light of recommendations of the sub-committee of the cabinet.

She said the CC strongly condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s move to bring controversial anti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment Act saying it was aimed at genocide of Muslims. She said meeting showed its satisfaction over efforts of PM Imran Khan to expose Indian face internationally and atrocities being committed by India in Occupied Kashmir.

She further said meeting decided that government would fill all vacant posts of law officers to play its role as bridge between bar and the bench. The PTI’s general secretary and the chief organiser have been given responsibility to make framework for these appointments. The government also wanted speedy decision of public interest litigations through such appointments.

She concluded that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar informed the meeting about legal action taken on vandalism incident of Punjab Institute of Cardiology.