Pakistan military warning to government as tensions grow
Source: Agencies |
January 12, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PAKISTAN'S military warned yesterday of "grievous consequences" for the country after the prime minister accused the army chief of violating the constitution.
The government dismissed the defense secretary, a retired general seen as an army representative within the civilian setup.
Tensions between the army and the government of President Asif Ali Zardari have soared since a scandal involving a memo sent to Washington asking for its help in reining in the army broke late last year. The memo outraged the army, and the Supreme Court ordered a probe to establish whether it had been sanctioned by Zardari, something that could lead to impeachment hearings.
As part of the investigation, army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the head of the main spy agency, Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, submitted statements to the court in which they suggested the memo was part of a conspiracy against the army.
This week, Prime Minister Yousuf Reza Gilani said in an interview to a Chinese newspaper that Kayani and Pasha had violated the constitution by doing this.
An army statement said those allegations had "very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country." It did not elaborate.
Around the same time, Defense Secretary Lieutenant General Naeem Khalid Lodhi was fired because of "misconduct" relating to his role in submitting the statements to the court, according to a government official who asked not to be named. The court is also set to rule next week on another case that could also see the dismissal of the government.
It wants the attorney general to open corruption proceedings against Zardari over a once shelved case, something the government is refusing to do. On Tuesday, judges warned they could dismiss Gilani unless he followed their order to pursue the case.
Observers say political pressure is growing to topple the government before Senate elections scheduled for March, which are expected to give Zardari's party a majority in the upper house that would give him significant political power for the next six years.
The country also is set to hold general elections next year, though some are pushing for an earlier date.
The government dismissed the defense secretary, a retired general seen as an army representative within the civilian setup.
Tensions between the army and the government of President Asif Ali Zardari have soared since a scandal involving a memo sent to Washington asking for its help in reining in the army broke late last year. The memo outraged the army, and the Supreme Court ordered a probe to establish whether it had been sanctioned by Zardari, something that could lead to impeachment hearings.
As part of the investigation, army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the head of the main spy agency, Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, submitted statements to the court in which they suggested the memo was part of a conspiracy against the army.
This week, Prime Minister Yousuf Reza Gilani said in an interview to a Chinese newspaper that Kayani and Pasha had violated the constitution by doing this.
An army statement said those allegations had "very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country." It did not elaborate.
Around the same time, Defense Secretary Lieutenant General Naeem Khalid Lodhi was fired because of "misconduct" relating to his role in submitting the statements to the court, according to a government official who asked not to be named. The court is also set to rule next week on another case that could also see the dismissal of the government.
It wants the attorney general to open corruption proceedings against Zardari over a once shelved case, something the government is refusing to do. On Tuesday, judges warned they could dismiss Gilani unless he followed their order to pursue the case.
Observers say political pressure is growing to topple the government before Senate elections scheduled for March, which are expected to give Zardari's party a majority in the upper house that would give him significant political power for the next six years.
The country also is set to hold general elections next year, though some are pushing for an earlier date.
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