ISLAMABAD: Hours after holding talks with Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri, the Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif is expected to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today, highly-placed sources in the government told Dawn.

The army chief who is currently in Cherat to witness a joint military exercise involving Pakistani and Chinese army personnel will be meeting the prime minister at some point today, sources said.

Although the army’s role in mediating the deadlock was previously regarded as minimal yet worrisome with two statements from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) over the course of the past several days, General Raheel Sharif's involvement in mitigating the crisis became evident on Thursday evening with the final confirmation coming from the two protagonists atop the revolution and azadi containers.

Sources said the COAS will take the prime minister into confidence over his discussions with Imran and Qadri.

Emphasising that doors of negotiations were always open on the government’s side, sources added that Nawaz Sharif was prepared to show flexibility on all demands put forward by PTI and PAT minus the one calling for his resignation.

The government has officially remained silent on any special assignment that Nawaz may have delegated to the COAS, but the military chief's meetings with the heads of PTI and PAT have been widely condemned by other political parties with representation in Parliament.

The army chief is in Cherat to inspect the three weeks long joint military training exercise Warrior-2014 focused on the joint anti-terrorism training of the special operation forces of Pakistan and China.

Gen Sharif on the occasion congratulated the participants of both armies for successful completion of their joint training exercise and appreciated their high state of morale, courage and professionalism.

Such joint training exercises have immensely helped to enhance the professional skills and operational preparedness of both the armies against terrorism, the COAS said.

Gen Raheel said that Chinese and Pakistan armies have special relationship which has transformed over time and is likely to grow.

Later talking to the Special Services Group (SSG) Troops, the army chief commended their outstanding performance in War on Terror, particularly in military operation Zarb-i-Azb.