Can Kiyani replace Musharraf?

[omerkhan2008]

Can the COAS tell parvez musharraff to step down?
if yes then uptill now why he hasnt?
if not,why not?

 

[mujahideen]

Can the COAS tell parvez musharraff to step down?
if yes then uptill now why he hasnt?
if not,why not?

The Chief of Army Staff can tell President Musharraf anything he wants but his words mean nothing. By nothing I mean he can ask the President to step down but it carries no legal weight. The job of the Chief of Army Staff is to maintain the Armed Forces of Pakistan, he is not allowed to get involved in politics. The only way President Musharraf can be removed in a legal way is if he is impeached by Parliament or if the Supreme Court rules he became President illegally or we just have to wait for him to resign or wait for his term to be over. Now the illegal way he could be removed is if the Armed Forces of Pakistan mount a coup against him, which is highly unlikely. The Armed Forces of Pakistan will never mount a coup against one of their own people. We mustn't forget he is a former General and the Armed Forces have a lot of respect for a General even if he is retired. Another reason why President Musharraf wont be removed by the Army is that he has all his loyalists in the top post. The Chief of Army Staff, Chief of the Navy and Air Force, DG MI, DG ISI, Corp Commanders and many other in high posts are very loyal to him.
But why would you want to remove him. He has done a good job and I hope he continues to do a good job. If President Musharraf is removed Pakistan has no one who can fill his shoes.
I for one am not ready to go back and hand the power back to the same old people who have shown that they care not about the country but for themselves. If President Musharraf should be removed I say we must also force every single politician in the country out of power and bring in a whole new generation of politicians. And I dont mean bring in the family members of the old politicians but a new breed of politicians. I for one am tried of seeing the same old corrupt faces over and over again and if they leave their children take their place.

 

[Astra]

As history shows, a commander in chief of 500000+ Pakistani Army can do anything in Pakistan.

 

[ahussains]

As history shows, a commander in chief of 500000+ Pakistani Army can do anything in Pakistan.

Yes you are right but when such things happend its not one man's decision every one is behind that .. Because we a Polititions are not soo good ( i admit) then the job will be always remains for the Army. But things are changing slowly and hope fully in future we never have such things again like our past.

And as far as Mushi is concern he is such a nice Politican who's coverd in the Army uniform in the past.

 

[omerkhan2008]

Ofcourse the armed forces are loyal to him,and we all know very well why are they loyal to him its no hidden secret.And yes no one can fill his shoes or should i say no one should fill his shoes after what he has done to the judiciary and the constitution.Now recently his interview with a US based magazine he said that "Benazir bhutto was unpopular with the military".We blamed Parvez Elahi,i would rather call him punjab Elahi's statements after the BB assasination which were aimed at ethnic fires and now parvez musharraff giving such controversial statemants.Then recently while addressing to the sindh interim cabinet he says that he will not let the incoming goverment make changes in the current state policies.Why are we having the elections then? We know he owns Pakistan and he can do anything so why go for elections,which im sure is going to be rigged anyway.

 

[Contrarian]

Musharraf may have left the Army, he still carries significant weight, he was an Army man afterall. Not to forget he would most definitely have made sure that the Army would not/not be able to remove him, putting his checks and balances in place.

 

[blain2]

Kiyani can advise (with considerable weight behind this advice) Musharraf that its time to go and based on the situation on the ground, Musharraf may listen to his Army Chief..if he does not then he would do so at his own peril.

Pakistan Army, like in Turkey carries considerable weight even when ex-CoAS/C-in-C like Musharraf and Ayub have been in power. They listen to their ex-constituencies because in the end, if the Army says to them that their being the President is actually hurting the image of the Army or messing up the country, then Musharraf would step down just like Ayub did back in the late 60s.

In the recent past, Gen Abdul Waheed Kakar had to put his foot down and sent packing both the President and PM because they were not getting along and were actually hurting the country. So Army will continue to play this role of mediating and then eventually pushing people out if the institution perceives that Pakistan is not being helped.

Musharraf's influence with the Army remained until he was the CoAS. Beyond that, the Army's senior staff will always give him the respect he is owed for being the President of Pakistan and the courtesy accorded to retired senior officers, but they are no longer answerable to him. The org. chart has changed somewhat

 

[mujahideen]

As history shows, a commander in chief of 500000+ Pakistani Army can do anything in Pakistan.

Frankly speaking you are right. But in this case we are talking about the legality of the Chief of Army Staff in this matter.

 

[Astra]

Frankly speaking you are right. But in this case we are talking about the legality of the Chief of Army Staff in this matter.

Ofcourse, it is not legal in any Constitution/democracy.
Sorry, Is was a reply to the original post, which did not mention about the legality of coup.

 

[mujahideen]

Ofcourse, it is not legal in any Constitution/democracy.
Sorry, Is was a reply to the original post, which did not mention about the legality of coup.

You are right. But I think the original post wasn't referring to a coup, but the Chief of Army Staff giving advise to the President. The COAS an say what he wants, but his words carry no legal weight. But in Pakistan in my my opinion they are a sort of a threat.