Islamabad, August 29
Pakistan's powerful military today said it was the government that asked it to play a "facilitative role" in resolving the current impasse, contradicting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statement that protest leaders approached the Army Chief to intervene.

"COAS (Chief of Army Staff) was asked by the governmentt to play facilitative role for resolution of current impasse, in yesterday's meeting, at #PM House," Major General Asim Bajwa tweeted as Sharif and protest leaders Imran Khan and Tahir ul-Qadri traded charges over who was responsible for the Army's intervention.

Bajwa's remarks came after Prime Minister Sharif told the National Assembly today that "neither had I asked army nor the armed forces sought a role in the present political crisis." Sharif scotched media reports that it was he who "requested" the army to come to his rescue, saying it was Khan and Qadri who approached Army Chief Raheel to become a mediator.

Responding to Sharif's statement, an angry Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Qadri shot back, "I say this categorically that the Prime Minister asked the army to intervene. I am saying, on the record, that we did not make any request asking the army to intervene." "I had not even spoken to the army chief before our meeting yesterday," Qadri said, adding that Sharif made the statement after he saw his government was losing strength. The fiery cleric claimed that Sharif was lying.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Khan also slammed the premier for saying Qadri and he asked for the army to intervene.

"I want to tell you what I told the army chief. I told Gen Raheel that I do not trust Nawaz Sharif at all. I told Gen Raheel every reason as to why I will not leave without their resignations," Khan said, adding that PTI did not ask the army to mediate.

"I am not going to backtrack on the resignation of the prime minister on any account," he said.

The Army had earlier asked all stakeholders in the crisis to hold "meaningful" talks to end the crisis.

In its 67-year history, Pakistan has witnessed three coups, including one against Sharif in 1999 by the then Army Chief General Parvez Musharraf. The Army, which has so far been passive in the confrontation between the government and protesters, has a history of capturing power from democratically elected governments. — PTI

Gaza, August 29
Thousands of militants paraded in the besieged Gaza Strip today, defiantly saying they would rearm as the prospects of a final deal on a long-term Israel-Hamas truce looked shaky.

Calm was restored to the coastal enclave in a Tuesday ceasefire, and Gazans were gradually starting to rebuild their lives after a bloody and destructive 50-day war, the deadliest for years.

But the chances of long-term peace hung in the balance after Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal yesterday ruled out Israeli demands to disarm, and as Israel said it would not budge on key Hamas demands in further negotiations.

Thousands of Islamic Jihad fighters paraded through Gaza City in a show of force, marching with light weapons and holding aloft rockets similar to those fired at Israel during the conflict.

The spokesman for Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, delivered a speech praising backers Iran and allies Hezbollah and declaring that the group would "redouble efforts" to rearm.

Israel "cannot win in Gaza", said the spokesman known as Abu Hamza.

"We have not stopped making weapons, even during the battle, and we will redouble our efforts... to prepare for the next stage, which we hope will be the battle for freedom." His words echoed those of the exiled leader of Hamas, the main power in Gaza. — AFP

Kiev, August 29
Ukraine said on Friday it would seek the protection of NATO membership after what Kiev and its Western allies say is the open participation of the Russian military in the war in Ukraine's eastern provinces.

Formal Ukrainian membership in the Western military alliance — which would come with the full protection of a mutual defence pact with the US superpower — remains an unlikely prospect, at least in the near future.

But by announcing that it is seeking it, Kiev is taking its most decisive step yet to pursue Western military protection from what it now describes as an invasion by its neighbour.

NATO's secretary-general said he respected Ukraine's right to seek membership, and accused Russia of blatantly and illegally intervening in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow denies its forces are fighting to support pro-Russian rebels who have declared independence in eastern Ukraine, but the rebels have all but confirmed it, saying thousands of Russian troops have fought on their behalf while "on leave".

Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk told a government meeting on Friday the cabinet would "bring before parliament a law to scrap the non-aligned status of the Ukrainian state and establish a course towards membership of NATO."

Were NATO to contemplate extending its mutual defence pact to Ukraine, it would be the biggest change in the security architecture of Europe since the 1990s.

After the Cold War, NATO defied Russian objections and expanded to grant its security guarantees to former Communist countries like Poland, Hungary and Romania. But it largely stopped at the border of the former Soviet Union, admitting only the three tiny Baltic states Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. — Reuters