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Kiyani takes an independent path
Pakistan's armed forces chief distances himself from Musharraf with a smart move.
- Gulf News
- Published: 00:44 April 4, 2008
As Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf retreats further into a labyrinth of errors which are entirely of his own making, the possibility of another miscalculation on his part could be gaining prominence - the appointment of General Ashfaq Kiyani as chief of Pakistan's armed forces.
This oversight by Musharraf was in retrospect preceded by two others: the declaration of emergency, or "martial law" as the world saw it, and the banishment of the judiciary and former chief justice of Pakistan.
The presence of a democratically elected government, or coalition, may have alerted the intuitive Kiyani into thinking that he should not try to emulate the obviously faulty tactics of his predecessor.
And therein lies the prescription for his success. Kiyani's first move, that of briefing the newly elected leaders on the US-backed policies of Musharraf in fighting Islamist militancy, has been a smart one. He presented his own options.
It showed that he was distancing himself from politics, for now, and willing to employ the strategies of negotiation and "credible military action" to stabilise Pakistan's troubled tribal regions.
In future, Kiyani may embrace his own ambitions. Rest assured it would be consistent with Pakistan's past if a former loyalist in uniform begins to believe that he can do better than his mentor.
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