Pak Army Chief 20th most powerful person in world

Washington, Dec 22 (ANI): Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is placed 20th on the list of the global "power elite" by Newseek for controlling country's nuclear arsenal.

General Kayani's inclusion in a list has been justified with the following citation: "Kayani ... is responsible for Pakistan's nukes; for the battle against al Qaeda and its tribal allies along the Afghan border; and for managing tensions with neighbour India... Kayani insists he's a committed democrat, but he nevertheless argues that military interventions ... are sometimes necessary to maintain Pakistan's stability.

US President-elect Barack Obama, whose legacy will be decided by actions that he takes over the next four years, leads the list carried by the leading American weekly magazine.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, German Chancellor Angela Markel and powerful Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin follow Obama, who tops the list.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi is placed at 17th and Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan is at 41st position.

Among others, it includes Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, United Arab Emirates President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Iran's Supreme leader Ali Khamenei and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. (ANI)