Pakistan Army General fights to sustain his job

Islamabad, Jun 15: Pakistan's Army General, who is considered as the most powerful person in the country is combating hard to sustain his position in the face of seething anger from top generals and junior officers since the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Army General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has been leading the army since 2007. The Bin Laden raid left many Pakistanis questioning the capacities of the nation"s army.

The Pakistani Army, run by consensus among 11 top commanders, demanded that General Kayani get much tougher with the Americans, even edging toward a break, Pakistanis who follow the army closely said.

In order to repair the army's reputation, Kayani made a tour of more than a dozen garrisons, mess halls and other institutions in the six weeks since the May 2 raid that killed Bin Laden.

During his session at the National Defense University, one officer got up after General Kayani"s address and challenged his policy of cooperation with the United States by asking,"If they don"t trust us, how can we trust them?".

General Kayani told the director of the C.I.A., Leon E. Panetta that Pakistan would not accede to his request for independent operations by the agency.

Oneindia News