Islamabad: Pakistan government today said it
has no plans to remove Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani or make
changes in the military high command, dismissing speculation
in this regard amid concerns expressed by top Generals over
conditions attached to USD 7.5 billion in American aid.
There is no move by the government to change the army
chief, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told reporters
at Chaklala military airbase near the garrison city of
Rawalpindi.
Sections of the ruling PPP have been critical of the army
for coming out in public with its concerns over conditions
attached to USD 7.5 billion in American aid to be provided to
Pakistan over a period of five years under the Kerry-Lugar
bill.
Though no senior PPP leader has made a public comment in
this regard, Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar has said
that army should not have gone public with its concerns.
Babar noted that US aid packages negotiated under former
President Pervez Musharraf too contained similar clauses as in
the Kerry-Lugar bill but the army had not complained then.
The army conveyed its concerns over the US bill to Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in a letter. The army`s corps
commanders also discussed the matter during a meeting chaired
by Kayani last week.
Bureau Report
