Sections in the US State Department and Pentagon have always felt more comfortable dealing with all powerful Pakistani generals instead of elected civilians, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
While the American mainstream media speculate about Pakistani Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani being deposed in a coup, the reports have very little domestic corroboration, says Amir Mir
Pakistan's powerful army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has said that he supports the idea of holding a free, fair and transparent parliamentary election leading to a peaceful transfer of power in the country.
According to sources, this decision was taken during a high-level informal meeting held at the Presidency, which was chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari and attended by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, ISI DG Lt. Gen Zaheerul Islam, foreign secretary and Pakistan's ambassador to US Sherry Rehman, reports The Nation.
The channel quoted its sources as further saying that Musharraf would meet former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, British Prime Minister David Cameron, King Abdullah of Jordan and authorities in United Arab Emirates before arriving in Pakistan.
Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani refused an American request to confiscate the cell phone of jailed Lashkae-e-Tayiba commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi being used to direct group's operation from the Rawalpindi jail, reflecting connection between the country's military and the terrorist outfit.
A colonel in the Pakistan's spy agency -- the Inter-Services Intelligence -- had provided vital help to the Central Investigation Agency in tracing Osama bin Laden, a new book has claimed.
Pakistan's powerful Army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani told a top American diplomat that his establishment wanted the resumption of back channel talks with India, but President Asif Ali Zardari was against it, according to a secret United States cable leaked by WikiLeaks.
Washington and Islamabad are looking more like enemies than allies in a war, thus threatening the US-led war on terror, says Amir Mir
An "emotional" Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari expressed happiness while his powerful army chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani was left "shocked" and demanded a public explanation from American President Barack Obama when the United States told them about Osama Bin Laden's killing in Abbottabad.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday chaired a meeting of Pakistan's top civil and military leadership ahead of the resumption of a trilateral initiative with Afghanistan and the US to boost the Afghan peace and reconciliation process.
It needs to be underlined that Pakistan army chief Gen Kayani's pleasant remarks should not be interpreted as indicating a change in the hostile mindset of the Pakistan army towards India, argues B Raman.
General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called Pakistani Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani to discuss with him military-to-military ties between the two countries. "The call was cordial and professional. It is a routine part of the relationship and another opportunity to understand what is most important to each military as we confront common threats," said Colonel Dave Lapan, spokesman of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Embattled Pakistani government on Monday said Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha had stepped beyond his jurisdiction when he briefed Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani about his meeting with memo scandal whistle-blower Mansoor Ijaz in London.
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has taken up the issue of the American 'diplomat' who has been in police custody for killing two people in Lahore, with Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and army chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani. Clinton raised the matter during her telephonic conversation with Zardari last week and also when she met Kayani on the sidelines of the Munich conference over the weekend.
Lt Gen (retired) Asif Yasin Malik, a close aide of Pakistan army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, has been appointed as the country's new defence secretary.
The latest tranche of WikiLeaks published in the media has revealed that Zardari had made extensive preparations in case of his own assassination and instructed his son Bilawal to name his sister, Faryal Talpur, as president.
China vowed to take its military ties with Pakistan to a "new high" and defended its nuclear cooperation with Islamabad to build two new reactors for the country.
In a major embarrassment for Pakistan's powerful army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden was killed just yards from a military compound that he visited last month where he had famously claimed that his forces had broken the "terrorist backbone".
Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey has cancelled his trip to Islamabad, where he was to hold a private meeting with Pakistani counterpart General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, due to continued wave of anti-US protests.
In a sensational claim, a former Pakistan army general has said that Osama bin Laden had been kept in a "safe house" of Intelligence Bureau in Abbottabad with "full knowledge" of the then ruler Pervez Musharraf and possibly current Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.
The elected government in Pakistan has found that the little control it had over the army has been completely eroded, says B Raman
While the United States is unlikely to launch an attack on Pakistan, the US military build-up on the Pak-Afghanistan border is the opening salvo to unfurl a "containment strategy" toward Pakistan, says M K Bhadrakumar
Hours before Washington is set to release an assessment of war in Afghanistan, topmost United States military commander has expressed "impatience" with Islamabad over its failure to clear terrorists from havens on the border with Afghanistan.
Post 26 /11, amid growing tension between India and Pakistan and mounting evidence that people in the Pakistani establishments were involved in the Mumbai terror attacks, Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, told the US that his army would respond to an Indian attack.
Following the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, criticism of Pakistan Army Chief inside the country has grown. His close ties with the Barack Obama administration has not gone down with the army. But will Pakistan's most powerful man be overthrown? B Raman analyses
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will commence a high-level visit to China from July 6 during which the two countries will firm up a deal for supply of two new nuclear reactors to Islamabad.
The Pakistan Army chief will not like to place himself in a position where he has to overthrow the elected head of state and the supreme commander of the armed forces, says B Raman
A change in Pakistan, however, is inevitable in the weeks ahead. The big question will be whether such a change will make Pakistan a more stable country or push it further towards a failed state.
The 26/11 trial is expected to take an interesting turn with the counsel for Fahim Ansari contemplating the inclusion of Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani's name as the main conspirator.
Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has received an unusual support from leading Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, who described him as 'a man of principle'.
Pakistani terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh made the hoax calls to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani after last year's terror attacks on Mumbai, investigators have told Pakistan's Dawn newspaper.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is on shaky grounds, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is pro-America and Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani is doing well in taking military action against terrorists in his country, a top Republican Senator said on Monday.
While officials of the two allies offered few details on Wednesday about what was decided or even discussed at the meeting -- including any new strategies, tactics, weapons or troop deployment -- the star-studded list of participants and an extreme secrecy surrounding the talks, New York Times said the talks underscored how gravely the two nations regarded the growing militant threat.
In a letter written to the officers, Gen Kiyani said the role of the Armed Forces had already been defined in the country's laws and Constitution and there was no role of the Army in the country's politics.
.jpg)
Pakistan's powerful Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif has described Kashmir as the "jugular vein" of his country, saying the issue should be resolved in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiris and in line with UNSC resolutions for lasting peace in the region.
Learning perhaps from the Kargil debacle, Musharraf tried hard to evolve as a statesman in his dealings with India, recalls Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Al-Qaeda chief's daughters released for ex-Pakistan Army chief's son, claimed a media report.
If General Asim Munir, Pakistan's new army chief, wants to help defuse the current polarised atmosphere and shepherd civilian politicians towards negotiations on an acceptable date for elections, he may need to distance himself from any perception of needless hostility to Imran Khan, explains Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W, India's external intelligence agency.
In his latest book 'Playing to the Edge', Michael Hayden, the former CIA director said that Pasha had conceded that some of the powerful spy agency's retired members were engaged in training those involved in the heinous crime but refused to take action.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances