Army Rejects Gillani Claims - Gillani sacks Defence Secretary

[Fracker]

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Check what Gilani is saying now, he is in mood to pressurize army to push marshalla in the country.

PPP is totally looking to crash this country once for all

[regular]

PTI will not support any unconstitutional step by army: Imran Khan

Yes! PTI/Imran Khan needs to get dictations from the US and the zionists within the UK where Jamaima is residing........

[kas786]

Don't you guys understand that a coup is not in the interest of the PPP government. Can you imagine all the cases Zardari and Gillani will have to face? With the risk of being jailed or hanged, a coup is the LAST thing these guys want. So if your enemies worst fear is a coup, you give him a coup. You hang them and let it be a lesson to the future aspiring corrupt politicians.

It should've happened a long time ago, but better late than never, right?

And if you guys really think that PPP will never get elected after this destruction of Pakistan that they are responsible for, think again. Because it will happen...people forget things.

[saiyan0321]

Default Re: Pakistan PM sacks Secretary Defence; Army calls emergency meeting

Don't you guys understand that a coup is not in the interest of the PPP government. Can you imagine all the cases Zardari and Gillani will have to face? With the risk of being jailed or hanged, a coup is the LAST thing these guys want. So if your enemies worst fear is a coup, you give him a coup. You hang them and let it be a lesson to the future aspiring corrupt politicians.

It should've happened a long time ago, but better late than never, right?

And if you guys really think that PPP will never get elected after this destruction of Pakistan that they are responsible for, think again. Because it will happen...people forget things.

well as long as they dont come with the ranting of shaheed e jamhuryat bcz trust me they will do that they dont have anything to show for their 5 years this might be what they r fighting for

[scorpi786]

Now is a perfect time for our enemy to take advantage of the chaotic situation, the americans have done so already with the drone attacks.

People are right the govt should go but what needs to replace it is another democratically elected govt not military control however much we desire it...

If the next govt is the same kick them out too.

[Abu Zolfiqar]

the ARMY isnt going to wage a coup, people........!!

we leaning back watching misbehaving govt. at loggerheads with the ever-so mighty judiciary

ahhhoooooo

[saiyan0321]

shaheed ya haram maout ? man these 4 years unforgetable for nation next 50 years hahahaha

most probably why the army is not going for coup so that we will remember them heck aj kal koi kehta hai mai ppp support kerta hon makes me want to kill him but really havent met any they always dodge ghaddari question and point fingers at the army and other parties trying to make it look like we have no choice but our sadar sahab

[saiyan0321]

Saiyan so why are we wasting 85% budget on Military expenses, Military should sleep tight, We civilian should take their role and they need our security as well. Military should sleep tight as usual. Have a coffee

this army is very weird it will fight anybody even a superpower like russia but it will not fight usa pata nahi kya jadoo kar diya hum par humai russia kay sath partnership karni chahiye thi india got off easy very easy we made friends with traitors who hold us by our necks i hope things go better and with a strong government army can have the guts to stand up to the us

[Fracker]

Don't you guys understand that a coup is not in the interest of the PPP government. Can you imagine all the cases Zardari and Gillani will have to face? With the risk of being jailed or hanged, a coup is the LAST thing these guys want. So if your enemies worst fear is a coup, you give him a coup. You hang them and let it be a lesson to the future aspiring corrupt politicians.

It should've happened a long time ago, but better late than never, right?

And if you guys really think that PPP will never get elected after this destruction of Pakistan that they are responsible for, think again. Because it will happen...people forget things.

Face the cases, sure like they haven't done that before. They know very well about pakistan Judicary system. What they can face? jails? or Hang? Both things favors PPP. & this is what they want. Both crocks has their money outside the country and their children has good enough amount for which they can live and restore their parents after some time. Not only that, they also made the chance for their children and other PPP for the return. Which will only hurt Pakistan and Pakistan alone.

PML-N rightly started to approach all the parties so that they can put vote of no confidence against current government. And this government get removed by the democratic way. This will leave nothing for Gilani or zardari, since everything thing happened through democratic way. Judicury can't kick Gilani out since, Zardari can always present plea for gilani. Also, Army don't want to come in, which is why Gilani is again n again, trying to take PA on. next step PPP is going to do, is to play shareef in tomorrow's parlimentatory session.

[regular]

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's military warned of "grievous consequences" from its worsening relations with the civilian government on Wednesday, and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani sacked the top defence bureaucrat, as a crisis deepened in the country's leadership.

The powerful military has often been at odds with civilian leaders and has ruled the country for more than half its 64 year history as an independent state after repeated coups.

The "memogate" scandal - which erupted last year over a leaked memo seeking U.S. help preventing a coup - has brought tension between generals and politicians to the worst point since the army restored civilian rule after last seizing power in 1999.

That tension has raised fears for the stability of the nuclear-armed country, a vital if wary U.S. ally.

The memogate scandal is now being investigated by the Supreme Court. Gilani told a Chinese news website this week that the military had broken the constitution by issuing its responses to the probe without government permission.

The military denounced Gilani on Wednesday for accusing it of violating the law by responding to the investigation.

"There can be no allegation more serious than what the honourable prime minister has levelled," it said. "This has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country."

Gilani's office said it had sacked the defence secretary, retired Lieutenant General Naeem Khalid Lodhi, for "gross misconduct and illegal action which created misunderstanding" between institutions. Lodhi was the most senior civil servant responsible for military affairs, a post usually seen as the military's main advocate in the civilian bureaucracy.

A senior military official told Reuters the latest tension was "very serious." Lodhi was replaced by cabinet secretary Nargis Sethi, who is considered close to Gilani.

If Gilani decides to dismiss the army or intelligence chiefs - arguably the two most powerful men in Pakistan - he needs the defence secretary on his side.

One senior member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) said the government and the army were both digging in.

"The prime minister has started throwing down the gauntlet," the party member said, asking not to be identified.

However, another top PPP official later played down talk of an imminent showdown: "We've said before, we'll say it again: we don't go for a clash of institutions because in these conditions, Pakistan's people cannot afford to have the country's integrity harmed," Khursheed Shah told reporters.

INSULT

Historically, the defence secretary's post has been filled on the recommendation of military chiefs, who often choose allies, usually retired generals.

"Because this one (Lodhi) is the army's guy, they may consider this an insult," said Hasan Askari Rizvi, an independent political analyst.

The military, which sets foreign and security policies, drew rare public criticism after U.S. special forces killed Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil in a raid in May last year, an act seen by many Pakistanis as a violation of their sovereignty.

Pakistanis rallied behind the military after a November 26 NATO cross-border air attack killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on the frontier with Afghanistan, plunging already troubled ties with Washington to their lowest point in years.

By going on the offensive, civilian leaders risk inviting the wrath of an army that runs a vast business empire when it is not watching its old rival India or fighting Taliban insurgents.

"This is political adventurism on the part of the government," said Mutahir Ahmed, professor of international relations at the University of Karachi. "Instead of stabilising and strengthening the democratic forces, the present government is following the policy of confrontation."

In another move some analysts described as ominous, the army replaced the head of a brigade known for its prominent role in coups. The military said it was a routine matter.

"A promotion can always be explained as a routine thing, but based on its timing and the way the media has been allowed to pick it up, it is a signal," said Ejaz Haider, executive director of the Jinnah Institute think tank.

The United States, the source of billions of dollars of aid, wants Pakistan's civilian leaders and generals to maintain smooth ties so they can focus on helping Washington wind down the war in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Pakistan's rulers also face an array of domestic challenges -- from crippling power cuts to widespread poverty and growing public frustrations over corruption.

Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani last month dismissed coup rumours as speculation and said the army supported democracy.

The rumours started after President Asif Ali Zardari flew to Dubai for medical treatment, amid press reports he had instigated the memo against the generals. Zardari returned from Dubai after about two weeks.

The memo scandal broke three months ago when businessman Mansoor Ijaz said a senior Pakistani diplomat had asked that the memo be delivered to the U.S. Defense Department seeking help in reining in the military after the raid that killed bin Laden.

Ijaz later identified the diplomat as the then Pakistani ambassador to the United States, Zardari ally Husain Haqqani. Haqqani denied any link to the memo but resigned as ambassador.

Zardari could face impeachment proceedings if a link is established with him. But he has proven to be a survivor in the face of controversy. He spent 11 years in jail over the last two decades on corruption charges and was also accused of murder, but never convicted and denies any wrongdoing.

"Zardari aims to stay in power till the very last day," said a close associate of Zardari.

"He is a very determined man and will stick it out even though things are very volatile in Pakistan right now."

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...c=Worldupdates

[kink]

PPP government is at odds with both the supreme court on NRO issue and the army on memo issue at the same time. Looks like its curtains for the government! But Zardari sure has balls

[cb4]

Gilani and Zardari's time is up. They can try to do whatever they want in the last minute. Fact is th there will be NO supporters at the end of the day

[regular]

Sacking of defence minister fuels tensions in Pakistan
By Matthew Green in Islamabad
A showdown between Pakistan’s civilian and military leaders intensified on Wednesday when the prime minister sacked a top defence official in a rare public display of defiance of the country’s powerful generals.

A scandal over a secret memo seeking US help to reign in the army has pushed the nuclear-armed country into a period of exceptional uncertainty by forcing a long-running civilian-military power struggle into the open.

Yusuf Raza Gilani, the prime minister, injected a fresh twist into the drama on Wednesday when he sacked the defence secretary, Naeem Khalid Lodhi, a retired general close to the military establishment, which sees itself as Pakistan’s ultimate guardian.

A statement issued by Mr Gilani’s office said Mr Lodhi had committed “gross misconduct” but did not elaborate.

Any sign of hostilities between politicians and soldiers causes alarm through Pakistan where generals have repeatedly staged coups and where stability rests on a precarious balance between centres of military, civilian and judicial power.

That balance has been tested in recent months following allegations that Asif Ali Zardari, the president, authorised the despatch of the memo seeking US help to decisively assert civilian control over the army following the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden in May.

Mr Zardari has denied the allegations – which infuriated the military -- and his supporters say they form part of a conspiracy to destabilise the government.

The Supreme Court has launched an investigation into the so-called “Memogate” affair, posing a fresh legal challenge to a government already mired in a separate battle to prevent judges forcing it to re-open graft proceedings against Mr Zardari.

Some commentators believe Mr Lodhi’s removal might be designed to clear the way for Mr Zardari to make the far bolder move of sacking General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s feared spy agency. The defence secretary’s signature would be required for such a dismissal.

Gen Pasha compiled a dossier of evidence related to “Memogate” which he has submitted to the Supreme Court.

Any attempt to remove such an influential figure would test whether the government can defy the unspoken limits to its authority dictated by the security establishment, which sets policy towards the US and Afghanistan.

Ratcheting up tensions further, the news of Mr Lodhi’s sacking hit Pakistan’s hyperactive news channels shortly after the army had launched its most rancorous attack on the civilian leadership since Mr Zardari assumed office in 2008.

In a statement, the military rebuked Mr Gilani for saying that Gen Pasha and Ashfaq Kayani, the army chief, had defied the constitution by submitting evidence to judges investigating the memo.

The military was particularly piqued that Mr Gilani made the comments to a Chinese interviewer while Gen Kayani was in China to cement long-standing military ties.

“This has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country,” the statement said, referring to Mr Gilani’s comments.

Sacking of defence minister fuels tensions in Pakistan - FT.com

[RazPaK]

I am in favour of imposing Martial Law. These people have have sucked the blood of this country dry, and I think they should be hung publicly.

[hunter_hunted]

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It seems Pakistan will again make a record of an elected government never to complete 5yrs term in entire history of Pakistan.

Better than being destroyed by American Lap dogs . We r with PA to the end.