Sunday, January 13, 2008

General Kayani to Army Officers - Stay away from Politics

Keep away from politicians, Kayani tells officers
By Nadeem Alvi, the News, January 14, 2008

LAHORE: The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, has directed all officers of the Pakistan Army, including commanding officers, to refrain from meeting politicians.

According to reliable sources, the Army chief told the officers in a letter that they had no role to play in politics. He stressed that soldiers should pay heed to their professional responsibilities. The prime role of the armed forces is to carry out their professional duties and they should not indulge themselves in political affairs of the country, the COAS said.

He said no officer should call any politician to the GHQ, warning that anyone who violated the directive would have to face the music. He advised the Army men to avoid any direct or indirect interaction with political leaders.

The sources said that following the directives of the COAS, Army officers deployed in civil departments were being recalled to their units. It may be mentioned that Army officers have already been withdrawn from the Wapda and the Railways.

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