Once bitten, twice shy: Wary Sharif taking his time to pick army chief in Pakistan:
Islamabad, July 7, 2013 | UPDATED 09:35 IST
Once
bitten, twice shy, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in a fix
over who to appoint as the new chief of Pakistan Army. Incumbent chief
General
Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is to retire in November this year. Sharif, whose
democratically elected government was toppled in October 1999 in an army
coup initiated by his hand-picked army chief General Pervez Musharraf,
is discussing the appointment of the next army chief with his close and
trusted aides.
The new Prime Minister of Pakistan, who is also in charge of the country's defence ministry, also has to appoint the chief of naval staff and chairman, joint chiefs of staff committee. The three posts are considered to be the most powerful and influential in nuclear-armed Pakistan.
Keeping in view the track record of Pakistan's powerful army that has toppled democratically elected governments many a time in the past, it has always been an aspiration of Prime Ministers to appoint a trusted general as chief of army to minimise the threat of a coup.
Sharif, too, wants a loyal general as army chief. According to well-placed sources, the name of Major General Isfandyar Ali Khan Pataudi has emerged as a possible candidate for the post during closed-door meetings. However, advisers of the Prime Minister have asked him not to repeat his mistake of appointing a junior army officer to the post. Musharraf was junior to many generals when Sharif appointed him as the chief of army staff in October 1998.
Pataudi, a cousin of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, was earlier considered by the former government for appointment as director general (DG), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). His name was dropped later for unknown reasons.
While the Pataudis in India went on to forge a career in cricket and films, their Pakistani kin pursued a career in the army. Major General Pataudi's father was also a general in the Pakistan Army. According to local media reports, names of five generals of the Pakistan Army are doing the rounds for the army chief's post - Lieutenant General Haroon Aslam, a commando of the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army; Lieutenant General Rashid Mehmood, Lt General Raheel Sharif, Lt General Tariq Khan, winner of Sword of Honour at the Pakistan Military Academy; and incumbent DG, ISI, Lt General Zaheer-ul-Islam.
The new Prime Minister of Pakistan, who is also in charge of the country's defence ministry, also has to appoint the chief of naval staff and chairman, joint chiefs of staff committee. The three posts are considered to be the most powerful and influential in nuclear-armed Pakistan.
Keeping in view the track record of Pakistan's powerful army that has toppled democratically elected governments many a time in the past, it has always been an aspiration of Prime Ministers to appoint a trusted general as chief of army to minimise the threat of a coup.
Sharif, too, wants a loyal general as army chief. According to well-placed sources, the name of Major General Isfandyar Ali Khan Pataudi has emerged as a possible candidate for the post during closed-door meetings. However, advisers of the Prime Minister have asked him not to repeat his mistake of appointing a junior army officer to the post. Musharraf was junior to many generals when Sharif appointed him as the chief of army staff in October 1998.
Pataudi, a cousin of Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, was earlier considered by the former government for appointment as director general (DG), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). His name was dropped later for unknown reasons.
While the Pataudis in India went on to forge a career in cricket and films, their Pakistani kin pursued a career in the army. Major General Pataudi's father was also a general in the Pakistan Army. According to local media reports, names of five generals of the Pakistan Army are doing the rounds for the army chief's post - Lieutenant General Haroon Aslam, a commando of the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army; Lieutenant General Rashid Mehmood, Lt General Raheel Sharif, Lt General Tariq Khan, winner of Sword of Honour at the Pakistan Military Academy; and incumbent DG, ISI, Lt General Zaheer-ul-Islam.
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