Islamabad: The Pakistan Army will refuse to work with new Defence Secretary Nargis. Sethi appointed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani after he fired Naeem Khalid Lodhi, a former general and a confident of army chief , New York Times quoted a source in the army as saying.
It said the army would not react violently, but it would not cooperate with the new secretary of defense
Gilani replaced Lodhi with a civilian aide Nargis Sethi after accusing the former secretary of “gross misconduct and illegal action” and of “creating misunderstanding between the state institutions.
Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has called an emergency meeting of his top commanders today.
The newspaper wrote that ordinarily, the defence secretary in Pakistan is appointed with the consent of the army chief and acts as a bridge between the government and the military. It added that the role is more powerful than that of the defence minister, a position filled by a politician from the governing party.
The New York Times said the defence secretary’s signature is required for any appointment, or termination, of a member of the military leadership. “By installing a defense secretary of his own choice, Gilani appeared to be seeking greater leverage for his government in dealing with the military,” it added.
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