Government bluntly warned military faced isolation unless acted against homegrown militancy. They allegedly warned military chiefs present that Pakistan risked facing international isolation.
Journalist says he barred from leaving the country, after he reported a row between military and government officials.
The row erupted over an article saying the government bluntly warned military Pakistan faced isolation unless it acted against homegrown militancy.
The government rejected the report, calling it “a fabricated news story”.
Relations between Pakistan’s civilian government and the military have often been tumultuous with three coups since independence.
Nawaz Sharif’s government took office after Pakistan’s first ever civilian transfer of power.
It comes just weeks after India blamed Pakistan-based militant groups for an attack that killed 18 soldiers.
In Indian-administered Kashmir, the deadliest assault on the army there in years.
Pakistan has consistently denied any links to the attack.
Government bluntly warned military faced isolation unless acted against homegrown militancy.
India has long accused Pakistan’s ISI spy agency of secretly supporting jihadi groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Saying they wage attacks against India, particularly over Kashmir – which is claimed by both countries.
The ISI is a military intelligence organisation, seen as a central organ of Pakistan’s army and run and staffed by military officials.
The 6 October article by Mr Almeida, published in the English-language Dawn newspaper, quoted unnamed sources.
The meeting chaired by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the director general of the ISI spy agency, Rizwan Akhtar.
It claimed that the prime minister, Punjab’s chief minister and other members of the government raised concerns about a lack of military action.
Against certain militant groups because of their ties to the spy agency.
They allegedly warned military chiefs present that Pakistan risked facing international isolation.
The prime minister’s office and the Punjab chief ministers office have strongly denied the report saying there was no conflict of that nature at the meeting.
However Dawn stood by the story, saying it had repeatedly fact-checked.
And accused the government of “scapegoating the country’s most respected newspaper in a malicious campaign”.
Mr Almeida scheduled to travel to Dubai on holiday on Tuesday, but said on Monday evening that he received word he not allowed on the plane.
Differences between civilian officials and the powerful military may rarely reported, but they are as old as Pakistan itself.
The country’s first elected Prime Minister, Zulkifar Ali Bhutto, overthrown by the military and hanged following a controversial trial in 1979.
A decade later, his daughter Benazir Bhutto dismissed from office barely 18 months after coming to power.
Government bluntly warned military faced isolation unless acted against homegrown militancy.
Pakistan’s military accused of using various militant groups as armed proxies against India and Afghanistan.
And repeatedly undermining attempts by elected civilian governments to promote trade and normalisation in the region.
However, with behind-the-scenes expressions of unease about this policy by China, civilian leaders feel more empowered, analysts say.
They also have an opportunity to be more vocal following the recent rise in tensions with India.
China only friend Pakistan left in the neighborhood.
And it is preparing to sink tens of billions of dollars into an economic corridor it proposes to build through Pakistan.
With Western funding drying up, Pakistan’s military is eagerly looking forward to Chinese investment, and may feel responsive towards Chinese concerns.
