Prime Minister Yousuf Reza Gilani said in an interview to a Chinese newspaper this week that Kayani and Pasha had violated the constitution by submitting the statements.
By CHRIS BRUMMITT
Associated Press
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s prime minister fired the defense secretary Wednesday in a dispute over a memo sent to Washington that has enraged the army, escalating a crisis pitting the civilian government against the powerful military leadership.
The army warned darkly of “grievous consequences” as a result of the standoff, which is hampering U.S. efforts to rebuild shattered ties with the nuclear-armed nation that are needed to negotiate an end to the war in neighboring Afghanistan. The tensions have consumed the ruling elite in a country that is struggling to overcome economic turmoil and a bloody al-Qaida fueled insurgency.
The developments were a sign of near-open conflict between the army, which has often seized power in the country’s six-decade history. Relations between President Asif Ali Zardari and the generals have never been good.
Instability has dogged the government since it took office in 2008 after a 10-year army dictatorship.
The unsigned memo sent to Washington asks for its help in reining in the power of the military in exchange for favorable security policies. It was allegedly masterminded by Pakistan’ envoy to Washington, who resigned in a failed attempt to stem the fallout.
The affair has outraged the army, which has portrayed it as a treasonous threat to national security.
Acting under army pressure, the Supreme Court ordered a probe to establish whether the memo had been sanctioned by Zardari, a prospect that could lead to impeachment hearings.
As part of the investigation, army chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and the head of the main spy agency, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, said the memo was genuine and part of a conspiracy against the army.
Prime Minister Yousuf Reza Gilani said in an interview to a Chinese newspaper this week that Kayani and Pasha had violated the constitution by submitting the statements.