Chief of Army Staff | General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

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[fatman17]

NATO’s ISAF commander visits Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Gen Stanley McChrystal, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force commander, is scheduled to visit Pakistan today (Saturday) to update on the ISAF’s current operations in Afghanistan and consult Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Kayani. Gen McChrystal visits Pakistan regularly to consult Gen Kayani and other Pakistani leaders on ISAF’s activities. ISAF and the US continue to collaborate and partner with Pakistan to achieve their mutual goals of defeating violent extremists and establishing peace and security in Pakistan and the region. staff report

 

[mshoaib61]

 

[air marshal]

Army Chief visits blocked Hunza lake

Rawalpindi - May 11(APP): The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani today visited the site of landslide that blocked Hunza River near Attaabad.

He was briefed about the progress of work on spillways, being undertaken by Frontier Works Organization. COAS appreciated the efforts being made by Frontier Works Organization for safe restoration of Hunza River.

He also interacted with the people of affected area. Earlier on arrival in the area, COAS was received by Lieutenant General Shahid Niaz, Engineer-in-Chief and Lieutenant General Tahir Mehmood, Corps Commander Rawalpindi.

 

[air marshal]

COAS visits site, appreciates FWO efforts

ISLAMABAD – Despite three-month efforts, authorities seemed helpless on Tuesday in tackling the looming danger that has emerged from a monster lake formed after a landslide in Hunza Valley on January 4. Well-placed sources informed TheNation that 15 kilometres long and 60 metres deep lake with addition of 2,500 cusecs meters water daily had gone out of control and was about to burst and could wreak havoc all the way down to Tarbela Dam.
The sources informed that local authorities had already directed the residents of Attabad town and its adjacent areas to move quickly to safer places, adding an elaborate relief and rescue plan had been evolved to meet the eventuality.
“Hunza Lake has reached alarming proportion and shaken the government,” sources informed.
Since the landslide, the Hunza Lake had not only led to closure of KKH but also claimed lives of 20 people. Environmentalists and civil society have demanded of the Government to seek technical assistance from neighbouring China to reduce threat and mitigate sufferings of the people.
Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Tuesday visited the site of landslide that blocked Hunza River near Attabad. He was briefed about the progress of work on spillways, being undertaken by Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).
The COAS appreciated the efforts being made by FWO for safe restoration of Hunza River. He also interacted with the people of affected area.
Earlier on his arrival, Lieutenant General Shahid Niaz, Engineer-in-Chief and Lieutenant General Tahir Mehmood, Corps Commander Rawalpindi, received the COAS in the area.
Army Engineers and FWO have been successful in constructing 415 metres long, 40 metres wide and 20 metres deep spillway cut as an immediate remedial measures, but unfortunately there has been no let-up in plugging the breaches.
FWO, which is still working with full vigour, has reduced the danger of damages by 56 percent.
However, environmentalist lobbies insist that in case the lake bursts, it would throw up a large flood wave that could travel downstream as far as Tarbela Dam, adding water level is constantly rising by two feet daily as Hunza river feeding the lake.

COAS visits site, appreciates FWO efforts | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

 

[air marshal]

Kayani visits Hunza, promises army help

HUNZA, May 11: Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited Hunza on Tuesday amid tight security to assess the threat posed by a lake formed after rocks and earth from a landslide on Jan 4 blocked water of Hunza River.

Addressing a public gathering at Gulmit, the headquarters of the affected Gojal tehsil, Gen Kayani said that Pakistan Army was making all possible efforts to ensure release of water from the artificial lake without further damage.

Gen Kayani said that engineers were developing a spillway in a systematic manner to avert a sudden outburst of the lake which could devastate and submerge downstream areas. He said the water would start overtopping by May 25.

He said the government had not yet paid a penny to the army and more than Rs80 million had been spent on the excavation work, adding that it would take time to restore the KKH and the idea of constructing a tunnel at the disaster site was also under study. He announced that large boats would ferry goods across the lake.

Army officials briefed the COAS about the progress on the excavation works. Gen Kayani lauded the work done by the FWO personnel in very difficult circumstances and against heavy odds.

The army chief was informed that the army was running a boat service across the lake to ensue supply of food and essential items to landlocked Gojal Tehsil.

The army chief directed the FWO to complete the task as soon as possible.

The announcement of inadequate amount of compensation has however created frustration among the local people who have lost everything. They have demanded of the government to ensure proper compensation to mitigate their suffering. The landslide in early January killed 19 people and blocked the Hunza River and the KKH.

The artificial lake has already submerged 15 kilometres of the strategic Karakoram Highway, bridges in Ayeenabad, Shishkat and Gulmit, thousands of kanals of land, domesticated plants, more than 90 houses, two community centres, one school and a dispensary.

DAWN.COM | National | Kayani visits Hunza, promises army help

 

[air marshal]

 

[air marshal]

Turkish Commander meets COAS

ISLAMABAD, May 12 (APP): Commander Turkish Land Forces General Sebahattin Isik Kosaner on Wednesday visited General Headquarters and called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The visiting dignitary remained with COAS for some time and discussed the matters of mutual interest.

On arrival at General Headquarters, General Sebahattin Isik Kosaner, Commander Turkish Land Forces laid a wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada. A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Army presented the Guard of Honour to General Kosaner.

The three-day visit of the Commander Turkish Land Forces signifies the unique and brotherly relations enjoyed by the people and armed forces of both the countries.

 

[air marshal]

Rawalpindi - May 14, 2010: Admiral Agus Suhartono, Chief of Naval Staff Indonesian Navy called on Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at General Headquarters today.

The visiting dignitary remained with the Chief of Army Staff for some time and discussed the matters of professional interest. – ISPR

 

[air marshal]

Admiral Agus Suhartono, Chief of Naval Staff Indonesian Navy called on Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at General Headquarters on Friday. (14-5-2010) – Photo ISPR

 

[air marshal]

General Kiyani’s imminent scheduled honorable retirement
May 14, 2010

At my recent talk at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC about the successful counterinsurgency operations by the Pakistani army, renowned defence analyst Stephen Cohen posed a loaded question: whether Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani should get an “extension” when his tenure as COAS expires. My answer was no, that in order to make the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee the effective institution it was designed to be when it first came into existence in 1975, Gen Kayani should instead head a reformed JCSC.

On extensions my opinion is that once promoted to lieutenant general a three-star must complete his tenure of four years of service (age should not become a bar). But if he has completed his four years of service an extension can be given in extraordinary circumstances. Extension of service for a COAS is an entirely different matter. Primarily, it sets off a chain reaction which ends in promotions in the army being blocked. However loyal and sincere the senior military hierarchy, potential aspirants will feel deprived of their turn at attaining the top slot. Really good prospects down the line will find their careers and ambitions sidelined. All those presently in contention for the COAS job have good professional careers, and for the most part are not tainted by real-estate scandals. “Extension” will mean these officers will retire from service in the next 12-18 months. An extension to the COAS will put a monkey wrench into a natural process.

Promotions during the Kayani incumbency have been deserving ones, and crucial slots (the right man for the right job) have mostly been filled on merit. There will always be a perception of nepotism and favouritism, normal for any organisation or corporate entity. The boss will always tend to prefer those he considers close to him. Rightly or wrongly, a feeling will still prevail that, merit notwithstanding, crucial posts will go to favourites rather than to the man best suited to the job.

The JCSC must become an effective military instrument. Today`s warfare cannot be fought service by service, it has to be a combined, all-service affair. Not a single military analyst believes otherwise, so why is practice different from theory? The present Army-PAF cooperation during counterinsurgency operations has been superb, for while both chiefs are to be commended. Something routine had to depend upon the personal chemistry of the two leaders! This is unacceptable for a modern military machine, the combined potential on which the existence of our nation is dependant.

The JCSC should be the central HQ for all three services, formulating overall war plans incorporating their combined fighting potential, and the mechanism for implementing the war plans. Things basic to the three services must be unified. Some of it is already being done–e.g., medical and engineering services. Why not entities that are common, basic training institutions, workshops, etc.? Specifics cannot be addressed in a short article, but what about standardisation of small arms, vehicles, the myriad types of which defy adequate description? The present incumbent can spend usefully the 150 days he has left by conducting an exercise on how the JCSC can be made effective.

Constructive reforms should include: (1) the JCSC becoming the GHQ for all three services, and the army`s headquarters, the “Army HQ”; (2) the chairman of the JCSC (rename him “Chief of Defence Services,” or something similar) presiding over the senior promotions, from one star to two stars and from two stars to three stars in all three services; (3) all postings of three stars taking place with the concurrence of the GHQ; (4) creation of a Joint Operations Chief (JOC), or any such nomenclature, in the GHQ; (5) all military procurement under the GHQ`s aegis; (6) the ISI and the ISPR reporting to the GHQ, etc.

We need services integration, and we need it now. Being 36 years out of date, current and better military minds than mine can work out the modalities of making the JCSC effective. One does not grudge them their task of taking apart and putting out to pasture a 19th-century military mindset having no place in the 21st century, and certainly not after World War II.

Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has remade the Pakistani army in many ways more than one: restoring the esteem that in which the army was held by the citizens of the country, and restoring the morale and self-confidence of its rank and file; recalling several hundred army officers “on deputation” in civil services where they had no reason to be; the military`s intelligence services not being allowed to interfere in the 2008 elections.

This set the stage for the army to get out of politics. He oversaw a peaceful transition (with dignity) of Gen Musharraf out of the office of president (and with some difficulty out of the Army House), and stayed neutral in the subsequent process of the election of the new president.

Kayani has focused on soldiers` welfare and a return to professionalism. Counterinsurgency training was carried out indigenously before soldiers were taken into battle. A peacetime outfit was converted into an effective military machine. Observers far and wide have been amazed by the effectiveness of the subsequent counterinsurgency campaign.

Our young men in uniform laid down their lives in Swat and South Waziristan. Their Shahadats amounted to something great. Kayani gently nudged the government into restoring the superior judiciary in the face of the “long march.” Kayani`s many successes have not gone to his head. Instead of developing “Napoleonic” tendencies, he remains committed to democracy, even a multi-flawed, inherently corrupt one like ours. His will be a difficult act to follow.

There are many more reasons for Kayani not getting an extension. To quote Air Vice Marshal (r) Shahzad Chaudhry, “losing him would be a blow to the continuity of a transition in the nation`s institutional rebuilding, while extending his present position will likely not go down well with others in the army waiting to have their chance.”

With the universal confidence reposed in Kayani, he can supervise the process of making the JCSC reforms effective. Without this, Kayani should opt to retire gracefully, putting the considerable strength of his popularity in ensuring that the best man for the job is selected as the new COAS.

General Kiyani?s imminent scheduled honorable retirement | Pakistan Daily

 

[ejaz007]

‘Kayani’s term not being extended, nor does he want it’
Monday, May 17, 2010
Mukhtar says govt can’t write to Swiss authorities against its own president

LAHORE: Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar on Sunday said the government was neither granting extension to Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani nor had the general sought it.

Talking to reporters after offering Fateha for Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday’s nephew here, Mukhtar said the PPP-led government would not write a letter to the Swiss authorities for the reopening of cases against its own president.

He said there was no confrontation between the government and the judiciary, adding that the government was not facing any serious problem from the judiciary. He said the president could only be removed through impeachment.

APP adds: Answering a question about the NRO, the minister said he did not have enough knowledge regarding any legal complications. Mukhtar stressed the need for initiating the Pak-India composite dialogue to resolve any lingering issues.

‘Kayani’s term not being extended, nor does he want it’

 

[Xeric]

Pakistan to keep, a bit longer, current Army Chief | Pakistani | Pakistani News | Pakistani-American News | Pakistani Blog | Pakistan Forex News | Pakistan Commodities News | Pakistan Business News | Ibrahim Sajid Malick Blog

Pakistan to keep, a bit longer, current Army Chief

Posted on 17 May 2010 by Ibrahim Sajid Malick

The “word” on the Hill is that the Americans feel comfortable working with “Kayani-Pasha-Haqqani” trio and General Kayani will stay for another year.

A well placed CENTCOM source Washinton told us today that despite some posturing by democratically elected government of Pakistan, country’s Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will get an extension to his tenure.

Fourteenth chief of the Pakistan Army, General Kayani (55) was promoted to the rank of General in October 2007, with the title of the Vice Chief of Army Staff. Very next month (November 2007), General Kayani moved-up as the Army Chief after General Pervez Musharraf retired.

Our CENTCOM source says the current Pakistani General has developed strong working relation with his American counterparts and it will be “in the best interest of the operation not to change leadership mid-stream.”

On his part, General Kayani has assured Obama administration that his army will play in their “own sandbox” and not disrupt the civilian setup, our source said.

Earlier today in Pakistan, Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar had said that the PPP-led Government was not giving any extension to Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. Defense Minister, however, had put a caveat to his statement: “he (Gen. Kayani) has not asked for the extension of his tenure.”

In March when a high level Pakistani delegation came to Washington for high-level talks, General Kayani was the “top dog,” who negotiated most aspects of the strategic dialogue.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani had opened a reception at the embassy declaring that General Kayani: “embodies the conviction of the Pakistani armed forces, not just to defend the frontiers of Pakistan but also to ensure the continuity of constitutional democratic rule in accordance with the aspirations of our people of Pakistan.”

Ambassador Haqqani, whose diplomatic tenure was set to expire this month has also received one year extension.

“Haqqani and Kayani are both key stakeholders and extremely valuable contacts for the American government,” our source said.

General Kayani had meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army General David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, and other senior U.S. military officials during his visit to Washington.

“He (Kayani) had assured American leadership that his army does not plan to remove the elected government from power,” our source said.

Civilian rule returned to Pakistan in 2008 after General Pervez Musharraf resigned, but the army has not given up its dominance of key security issues.

ISI Chief Lt. General Pasha has also recieved extension to his tenure recently. “Pasha has worked dilligently to restore confidence of American intelligence community,” our source said.

“With Kayani as head of army, Pasha leading ISI and Hussain Haqqani in Washington, we feel comfortable,” our source who said.

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BS...?!

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

it doesnt matter what americans think. It's in our own national interests not to have a change in leadership at such a critical juncture.

I can say with confidence, however, that it is only the americans who want Haqqani to be the ambassador. You'll have a difficult time finding people in Pakistan who care about him. I think he should just stick to teaching at Boston University.

Unfortunately with the current setup, if the Americans say they want Haqqani to be ambassador --then that is what the result will be.

He's a man with many hats; and quite hard to take seriously, I might add.

 

[mughaljee]

Beside all these things,
i am happy with COA.