Pak Army chief quits

Karamat resigned after developing differences with Prime Minister Sharif which he aired in a speech to officers in Lahore this week. Karamat had proposed in an address to a military college in Lahore, his hometown, the formation of a national security council to institutionalise decision making in the country.

Karamat was critical of the Sharif government andsaid that Pakistan can8217;t afford 8220;insecurity driven policies.8221; He also said that it can8217;t afford 8220;polarisation and vendettas.8221; Karamat said that the council should be backed by a think tank of experts to institutionalise decision making.

This was the first time that Karamat has aired his views against the prime minister publicly. Prior to this, he had backed the Sharif government. During the constitutional crisis in October-November 1997, Karamat had put his weight behind Sharif. The crisis ended after both President Farooq Leghari and the chief justice of Pakistan resigned.

But of late, Karamat and senior members of the armed forces had expressed their reservations over various matters relating to the Sharif government. Army circles had privately expressed their anger over corruption within the government. By appointing General Musharraf, Sharif has used the powers that were vested in him earlier this year through a Constitutional Amendment that took away the power to appoint service chiefs from thePresident and vested them in the prime minister.

Musharraf, a Mohajir, has been chosen over General Ali Kuli Khan, a Pathan, the assumed choice for the job. Kuli Khan, currently the chief of general staff, was poised to take over from Karamat, as per army tradition. Kuli is closely related to Gohar Ayub Khan, former foreign affairs minister and now minister for water and power. But observers say that Musharraf has been brought in because he is a weaker candidate and will not pose a challenge to the prime minister.