World Bulletin / News Desk

Pakistan's army chief Raheel Sharif met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday, an army source said, as opposition protesters crowded outside government offices demanding the premier's resignation.

A day earlier the army chief, who is not related to the prime minister, urged the government and opposition leaders to resolve the crisis through talks and warned against the use of force to end the demontrations.

The meeting will come a day after after corps commanders met on Sunday evening to discuss the current political crisis, which sees opposition protests led by former cricketer and popular politician Imran Khan as well as cleric Tahirul Qadri.

Sources told Dawn that the army and the prime minister are expected to discuss a strategy to resolve the situation.

Nawaz Sharif has been meeting with senior political and government aides over the weekend, as well as calling Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to the capital Islamabad, ahead of a National Assembly session today.

The army has to date played a mediating role in the stand-off between Sharif's government and protesters from the Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), having reaffirmed its “support to democracy” on Sunday.