Shahbaz Sharif heaps praises on Pak Army chief

In what can be dubbed as the first move, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has openly come to the fore and has backed the Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, calling him "professional" and "straightforward".

"The civilian and military authorities must work together to counter the challenges facing Pakistan," the Dawn reported, citing Shahbaz as saying to journalists at the Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute.

"We must respect and honour the efforts the army chief is making (to safeguard national interests)," he added.

The PML-N chief said that, in a meeting he had had with the chief of the army staff, he found him professional and straightforward.

He also dwelled upon the sacrifices made by the armed forces to ensure the country's defence and to eliminate terrorism and fanaticism, appealing people to appreciate their efforts, according to the report.

The remarks seemingly are not in sync with his party's as even as many in his party blame the military establishment for the current political crisis facing the Sharifs.