ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a high level meeting here on Friday to review the security situation in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Balochistan.

The meeting was attended by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Director General ISI Lt-Gen Zaheerul-Islam, Chief of General Staff Lt-Gen Ashfaq Nadeem, Secretary to PM Javaid Aslam and Additional Secretary to PM Fawad Hasan Fawad.

Sources said the country’s overall security situation, peace talks with Taliban militants and the prime minister’s recent visit to New Delhi came under discussion during the high meeting.

According to the state-run APP news agency, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan briefed the meeting about the status of raising of rapid response forces at the federal and provincial levels.

The meeting came as the Taliban in North Waziristan agency, led by militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadar, revoked a longstanding peace accord with the Pakistani government.

Also read: North Waziristan Taliban revoke peace accord; tell locals to leave

According to a pamphlet distributed in the tribal agency, the Hafiz Gul Bahadar group says it is now preparing to fight against “a planned operation by the security forces”, giving locals until June 10 to leave the area and move to safety.

Security forces have pounded militant hideouts in different parts of the tribal region during the past several days, stepping up pressure on militants in the tribal region.

The ‘operation’ began a day after military jets and helicopter gunships attacked suspected militants’ hideouts in Miramshah and Mirali sub-district of North Waziristan.

Key militant commanders were reported killed in airstrikes in the tribal region.

Earlier today, Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif also visited the Command and Staff College, Quetta where he addressed course participants.

The COAS said that the Pakistan Army is “fully prepared to deter and defeat any aggression across the entire spectrum of threat”, according to a press release issued by the ISPR.