Military raps premier as Zardari regime struggles to defuse tensions

In reply, the regime sacked its defence secretary, a retired general and bridge between civilian and military authorities.

The crisis engulfing president Asif Ali Zardari government has deepened since a scandal involving a memo sent to Washington asking for its help in reining in the army surfaced late last year.

The letter outraged the army, and the Supreme Court ordered a probe to establish whether it had been sanctioned by Mr Zardari himself.

At the heart of the crisis is a struggle between the civilian government and the army for control of Pakistan, a struggle that has sparked three coups in its 65-year history.

Yesterday’s military statement was issued after Yousuf Raza Gilani, Pakistan’s premier, accused the army chief and its head of intelligence of acting unlawfully by making submissions to the Supreme Court without clearing them with the Ministry of Defence.

A statement by the military press office said there could be “no allegation more serious”.

“This has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country,” it added.

Mr Gilani made his accusation in an interview with a Chinese newspaper on Monday, humiliating General Ashfaq Kayani, the chief of army staff, who was then visiting China.

Gen Kayani met senior commanders on his return before issuing his rebuttal yesterday. In it, the military denied the key allegation and said the two responses were sent to the ministry to be forwarded to the court. Within minutes of that statement it was announced Mr Gilani had sacked defence minister Naeem Khalid Lodhi for “creating misunderstanding”.

Meanwhile, the presidential spokesman was forced to deny that Mr Zardari had offered to resign to ease the heightening tensions.