Who wields power in Pakistan, civilian government or military?
Published: Sunday, Nov 27, 2011, 15:07 IST
Place: ISLAMABAD | Agency: PTI
=================================================
Who is pulling the levers of power in Pakistan -- the civilian government or the powerful military?
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has no direct answer to this question but says it was "an evolutionary process".
Khar has admitted that the controversy over 'memogate' had provoked questions about the authority of the civilian government in Pakistan, and created the impression that the powerful military led by army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is pulling the levers of power.
"Sadly it does (raise the questions)," she said. "I cannot deny that, and that's an unfortunate part that something as ludicrous as this could raise more questions. It doesn't take much to be able to raise those questions," Khar told BBC.
Asked specifically who had the upper hand - the civilian government or the army, the sauve Khar replied that it was "an evolutionary process".
"You cannot change things overnight. The army has had a larger-than-life role to play in Pakistan's history. However, you do have a democratic set up," she said.
Pakistan's envoy to the US, Husain Haqqani, was forced to resign after being linked to a secret memo that was delivered to the then American military chief Admiral Mike Mullen by controversial Pakistan-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz in May. Haqqani has denied that he played any role in drafting the memo.
Place: ISLAMABAD | Agency: PTI
=================================================
Who is pulling the levers of power in Pakistan -- the civilian government or the powerful military?
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has no direct answer to this question but says it was "an evolutionary process".
Khar has admitted that the controversy over 'memogate' had provoked questions about the authority of the civilian government in Pakistan, and created the impression that the powerful military led by army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is pulling the levers of power.
"Sadly it does (raise the questions)," she said. "I cannot deny that, and that's an unfortunate part that something as ludicrous as this could raise more questions. It doesn't take much to be able to raise those questions," Khar told BBC.
Asked specifically who had the upper hand - the civilian government or the army, the sauve Khar replied that it was "an evolutionary process".
"You cannot change things overnight. The army has had a larger-than-life role to play in Pakistan's history. However, you do have a democratic set up," she said.
Pakistan's envoy to the US, Husain Haqqani, was forced to resign after being linked to a secret memo that was delivered to the then American military chief Admiral Mike Mullen by controversial Pakistan-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz in May. Haqqani has denied that he played any role in drafting the memo.
=================================================
dnaindia.com/world/report_who-wields-power-in-pakistan-civilian-government-or-military_1618055
No comments:
Post a Comment