ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: With the world focusing on unrest in Balochistan, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani met on Tuesday army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and discussed security situation in the country.

“Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani at PM’s House today and discussed security situation of the country and the region,” a brief press release issued by PM’s Office after the meeting said.

Officially there was no direct reference to Balochistan in the press release, but officials privy to the meeting said the situation in the province and more importantly the international focus on the situation was one of the major issues discussed.

The military has long held the civilian leadership responsible for the Balochistan imbroglio. It believes that ‘indifferent and ineffective’ governance had exacerbated the problem.

The prime minister’s plan to convene an all parties conference on Balochistan, which is struggling to gather momentum, is also said to have come up for discussion, among other proposals for pacifying the estranged Baloch nationalist leaders.

A military official downplayed the meeting as one of army chief’s regular interaction with the PM.

The two, a source said, also discussed the appeal launched by the government for all Afghan groups to join reconciliation talks and the parliamentary review of ties with the US.

The press release further said “matters pertaining to the country’s defence also came under discussion”.

This, according to some quarters, indicated that “Gen Kayani may have shared his thoughts” about filling ISI director general’s position, which may fall vacant next month if Gen Pasha is not given another extension. Many analysts linked Mr Gilani’s meeting with Gen Kayani to his (PM’s) separate interaction with President Zardari.

However, Mr Gilani’s aides said the agenda of the PM-president meeting was more political, pertaining to the 20th Amendment, by-polls, strategy for upcoming Senate elections, the planned APC on Balochistan and the contempt proceedings in the Supreme Court.

“Current situation was discussed during the meeting,” a terse official statement on the meeting said.