Prime Minister Gilani addressed the nation late night on Thursday for less than three minutes but made an announcement that kept everyone glued to their television screens. The prime minister, after consultations with President Zardari, gave a three-year extension to Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. … The interesting aspect of this extension is that General Kayani’s term ends in 2013, the same year when the tenure of the current government and Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry also comes to an end. Prime Minister Gilani also made a reference to this fact in a press conference yesterday. The coincidence seems significant.
Extensions in the army are a rare occurrence, especially that of an army chief, unless he gives one to himself as in the case of Ayub Khan, Ziaul Haq and Musharraf when they were in power. … Prime Minister Gilani cited “[Kayani’s] effective role in the war against terrorism and in the enforcement of rule of law in the country” as the reason for this extension. It is true that changing horses midstream, when perhaps we have entered the most difficult phase of this war against terrorism, would not have been wise. After successful military operations in Swat and South Waziristan and a few other successes, now is the time to make sure that these areas remain peaceful. …
Another reason for this extension could be that so far General Kayani has not shown any inclination towards the army’s past penchant for upsetting the democratic applecart. If anything, he has supported continuance of the democratic dispensation. Therefore, without any disrespect to any expectant, the consideration must have been that General Kayani’s track record inspires confidence. Another important factor is General Kayani’s good equation with the U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan. They have reposed a lot of confidence in his counter-insurgency efforts, further sealing his credentials as the man of the hour. Though extended tenures generally have the unnerving tendency to go to people’s heads, so far this does not seem a high risk as far as General Kayani’s professionalism is concerned. Access the full article>>
