LAHORE: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has ruled out military coup in the current scenario.

Talking to reporters on Saturday, the speaker said the government had good relations with the army.

“The military has strengthened democracy and as far as I know there are no chances of a coup,” he replied to a question.

Mr Sadiq said he would fight the case of Kashmiris in Turkey in the conference where speakers of 50 countries were gathering.

He is leaving for Turkey on Sunday (today).

“Kashmiris want freedom from India. I am taking videos and pictures of Indian atrocities in the held Kashmir to present them before the world community,” he said.

About the PTI’s plan to block Islamabad, the speaker said Imran Khan should think who would suffer from his act.

Replying a question about devolution of power to local government, Mr Sadiq said the power would be devolved to the local governments next month.

Qureshi: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said the distance between the military and civil government relations is not of ordinary nature.

According to a leaked video of his address to party workers here on Saturday, Mr Qureshi reportedly said the ongoing relations between the civil and military leadership were not different than those in 1999.

Referring to the sit-in called by Imran Khan, Mr Qureshi said people needed to ensure their participation in the light of the troubled times so that they could put the country on the right track.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2016