Pakistan Leader Softens Criticism of Army and Spy Agency
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani softened his criticism of senior generals on Wednesday in an apparent thaw between Pakistan’s sparring civilian and military elites, saying the country could not afford further friction between its most powerful institutions.
“I want to dispel the impression that the military leadership acted unconstitutionally or violated rules,” Mr. Gilani told reporters before leaving for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “We have to be seen on the same page.”
The remarks came less than 24 hours after Mr. Gilani held an unusual meeting with the country’s military and spy chiefs at his Islamabad home and offered the strongest indication yet that the tensions may be dissipating.
Two weeks ago, Pakistan was gripped by rumors of an impending coup following blunt public statements from both sides. In late December, Mr. Gilani warned that he would not tolerate a military-dominated “state within a state.” He later told a Chinese news agency that the army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, and the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, had acted illegally in sending testimony to the Supreme Court as part of a controversy that has threatened to topple the government.
full: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/world/asia/pakistan-leader-softens-criticism-of-army-and-spy-agency.html