A move to buy peace?

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, MAY 4. Has the Chief Executive of Pakistan, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, decided to appoint a Deputy Chief of Army Staff (DCOAS) to `buy peace' with belligerent religious groups?

If the Urdu daily, Jasarat, is to believed this could be one of the reasons for the elevation of Lt. Gen. Muzaffar Usmani to the coveted post. The report assumes significance as it is the Jamaat-e-Islami's mouthpiece. (Most of the mainline papers have refrained from commenting on the development).

The JI chief, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, has been running a campaign for the last several weeks demanding that Gen. Musharraf quit as Chief of Army Staff in October, when he is due to retire, and appoint the senior-most General as his successor.

The report said the appointment of Lt. Gen. Usmani was being discussed for the last two days in Islamabad. Quoting an unnamed diplomat, it said relations between the three-star General and Gen. Musharraf had not been cordial for the past few months. According to the diplomat, by appointing Lt. Gen. Usmani as the DCOAS, Gen. Musharraf had hit two targets in one shot. Political circles were of the view that Gen. Musharraf was preparing to step into the Aiwan-e-Sadr (President's House). After becoming President, the General would not be able to concentrate on the Army and would need a deputy.

In a recent meeting of the Formation Commanders, Gen. Musharraf had taken his Army colleagues into confidence about the appointment of Lt. Gen. Usmani. He had briefed his aides of his future political plan and there was a consensus that the Army should go ahead with its plan in order to give a new political system to the country.

At the same time, it was also being hoped that Lt. Gen. Usmani's appointment would help improve and strengthen the Army's relations with religious and political parties.

Quoting diplomatic circles, the report said Gen. Musharraf had been facing some problems from his close aides inside the Army. Under the new strategy, the work of promoting senior Generals in accordance with their wishes and expectations would continue. (Earlier, it was being said that Lt. Gen. Aziz, Corps Commander based at Lahore, might be appointed DCOAS but his appointment might have deprived many Generals of their due). A proposal to give some Generals political posts was also under consideration. Many reasons were also being given for the prevailing unrest in the Army. Topping the list was the slow pace in implementing the seven-point agenda. Through appointments and transfers, Gen. Musharraf had tried to give the impression that he was not against Islamist forces but had sufficient courage to accommodate them.

``However, the question is why has Usmani not been elevated to the (post of a) four-star General? The Army circles are of the view that he may be promoted to four-star General and appointed as Vice-Chief of Army Staff. What senior Generals think about the development would come in the open only after public pressure increases on Gen. Musharraf to take retirement in October,'' the paper said.

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Section  : International
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