Pak Army chief denies differences with Sharif

ISLAMABAD, OCT 1: Pakistani Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf has dismissed reports of differences with premier Nawaz Sharif and reject...

ISLAMABAD, OCT 1: Pakistani Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf has dismissed reports of differences with premier Nawaz Sharif and rejected suggestions of a quid pro quo in the government8217;s sudden decision to extend his term as chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee JCSC.

quot;I feel very comfortable with the prime minister,quot; English daily The Nation quoted Musharraf as telling newsmen during an informal chat at a reception here Thursday.

About the government8217;s decision to extend his tenure as JCSC chairman by another one-and-a-half year to make it co-terminus with his tenure as Army chief, which ends in October 2001, he said quot;It is the government8217;s decision and there has been no quid pro quo.quot;

On Wednesday, the Sharif government suddenly extended the tenure of General Musharraf as chairman of the JCSC, in an apparent reconciliatory gesture aimed at placating the powerful Army, angered by a statement by former foreign secretary Niaz Naik that the Army sabotaged an attempt to resolve theKashmir issue by the political leadership through back-channel diplomacy by carrying out the Kargil operation without Sharif8217;s knowledge.

Musharraf appreciated the government8217;s move to extend his term as JCSC chairman saying, quot;It is good that the government has confirmed his position as chairman of JCSC.quot;

He also confirmed that Sharif8217;s brother, Shahbaz Sharif, along with a senior Cabinet member, Nisar Ali Khan, had met him only a couple of days before the notification to quot;settle modalities of the office of chairman of JCSC.quot;

Shahbaz had rushed to the US recently as Sharif8217;s special envoy for talks with US officials amidst fears of an Army coup here and after he left Washington, the US issued a statement saying it would strongly oppose any extra-constitutional change in Pakistan.

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Musharraf hinted that it was the government which took the decision to withdraw from Kargil, strongly refuting rumours that it was the Army which had done saying quot;if it was so, then I had no right to continue as Armychief.quot;

He termed the Kargil operation a quot;great military success.quot; quot;The Army gained from Kargil and our troops created heroic history while gaining against the enemy,quot; he said adding it quot;would help in settling the Kashmir issue amicably.quot;

About Pakistan signing the CTBT, he said quot;The armed forces strongly believe that the government would take a decision about signing the treaty in the best national interest.quot;