Pakistani generals would “only step in if asked by the senior most judge in Pakistan,” a British top news paper quoted a military official as saying.
The disclosure is included in a report filed by two reporters of “The Times”, Francis Elliot, who reported that “following the (corps commanders’) meeting, a military official told The Times that the generals would only step in if asked by the most senior judge in Pakistan.”
“There is no chance of a coup in Pakistan right now. The military is not going to allow the PPP to become political martyrs,” the paper said. Quoting the military officer, The Times said: “We believe in democracy and the Constitution of the country and we are looking towards the Supreme Court. We will consider helping implement (the) court’s decision if civil authorities fail to implement it.”
These words attributed to the Pakistan Army are the first direct signal that the army generals would follow the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan if they were asked to help implement the judgments of the SC under Article 190.
The Times said Prime Minister Gilani may be considering to resign as part of a move to deflect the pressure on the president and regain the moral high ground for the government led by President Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
The newspaper said President Zardari has also asked Aitzaz Ahsan to conduct secret negotiations with the court. Aitzaz Ahsan is also being tipped as a possible replacement for Gilani.
Gilani may quit to ease pressure on Zardari
