Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is furious with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for statements criticising the army and has demanded that they be clarified or withdrawn, Reuters reported on Saturday quoting “a senior military source”.
“The army chief complained to the president about the prime minister’s statements, and said they needed to be either clarified or withdrawn,” the source told Reuters. “He said such statements were divisive and made the country more vulnerable.” In an interview with Chinese media, Gilani had said the army chief and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general’s replies to the Supreme Court were “unconstitutional”, infuriating the military’s high command, who issued a stern press release. As angry as Kayani is, the source said, the council of senior military commanders is even angrier, the source said. “There is a lot of pressure by the main corps commanders on the army chief regarding the statements of the prime minister,” the source said. President Asif Ali Zardari met Kayani in an attempt to mend fences on Saturday. “The current security situation was discussed,” a presidential spokesman said, without giving any details. The Presidency, however, did say that there was no truth to the reports that Gen Kayani expressed anger at the prime minister’s comments. “A section of the media has speculated on the contents of discussion between the president and army chief in the meeting, the reports, without quoting sources, are hypothetical, based on conjecture and in the realm of speculation,” the president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a statement.
These were highly deplorable statements by the Prime Minister of a country. This also shows a massive deficit of understanding of how we work in today’s world.
The problem stems from a certain mind set, an egoistic mind-set that I one is omniscient and others are there far below unworthy of a respectful treatment.
This attitude has been seen in Prime Ministers from civilian, agricultural or industrial background or Presidents from military background.
Gen Kayani is an exception and has acted very professionally up to now.
England
15th January 2012
5.25AM
@A Reader TrSp@
Your statement that 'Gen Kayani is an exception and has acted very professionally up to now' is rather unrealistic. You live in England and you know very well that top military commander is subservient to the PM and the parliament. Where is an evidence of professionalism in Gen Kayani. US navy SEALS conducted a daring operation in Abbotabad and where were his professionalism at that time. Besides, what is wrong in PM Gilani's statement which has irked Gen Kayani and is holding the whole nation at tenterhook by issuing a veiled threat of coup d'etat. What did PM Gilani say? He said that the commander had not followed the rules. If British military commander had gone out of the ambit of rules and regulations the British PM would have sent him home long ago. Alas, it can not happen in Pakistan because their is no rule of law..
You need professional help ….. are you comparing British PM and Parliament's acumen in statecraft with the three ring circus we have in Islamabad?
Over 12 hrs gone by the PM has not taken back is comments…Your move Gen Kayani
stop bragging
Let's see, what will happen now….
1) Army Chief is supposed to be under Prime Minister.
2) Army Chief is under oath not to indulge in politics.
3) It is no secret that he interferes in political matters in clear violation of his oath.
4) Prime Minister has all the powers to reprimand him for his misconduct.
5) When NRO was negotiated, the present Army Chief personally brokered the deal as DG, ISI. Supreme Court should summon and punich him for his misdeeds.
6) After Salala, he assured the nation that our sovereignty will not be allowed to be violated. Drone attacks have started again. Apparently, they have been permitted by Kayani. This calls for sternest action.
7) If our military cannot defend our territorial sovereignty, then what is the use of having one and wasting all our resources?
@Shahid Malik. The habits die hard. The military chiefs consider themselves sacrosanct and why not? Because the blame lies with the people who erroneously think they are sacred cows and they are the defenders and saviours of the country. But are they? People of the country appears to have short memory. In 1971 humiliating defeat and disintegration of the country happened. But since they are sacred cows they did not face trial and nothing happened to them.
Gen Musharraf violated the constitution and sent the PM in exile. He is now planning coming back as if he has been victorious in a war.
Gen Kayani is no exception. The mindset of these general is such that they consider themselves above the law and indulge in activities which are in contradiction to the constitution but nothing happens because there is no example that any general has been tried in the past.
The PM would make history if he sticks to his guns and reprimand both Gen K and Gen P for their activities which clearly violates the constitution. I hope PM does that.
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