Take cautious, gradual initiatives: Kayani to Nawaz on Indo-Pak ties

[thestringshredder]

In the backdrop of Nawaz Sharif's positive remarks on ties with India, powerful Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has suggested Pakistan's Prime Minister - designate to take gradual initiatives with utmost caution for improving relations with New Delhi, a media report said on Sunday.

Kayani made the suggestion when he called on PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, set to become Prime Minister for a record third term following his party's victory in the May 11 polls, at his brother Shahbaz Sharif's home in Lahore on Saturday.

The News daily quoted its sources as saying that Kayani wanted the new government to take gradual initiatives with utmost caution to improve relations with India as this alone "may lead to lasting peace in the region".

Kayani ensured that Sharif "knew the exact situation on the ground with regard to Pakistan-India ties in the backdrop of developments over the last decade" as Sharif did not have first-hand experience in view of his absence from power, the report said.

In Kayani's view, the relationship between Pakistan and India "demands a comprehensive strategy for addressing the geopolitical challenges which have cropped up over the years" since Sharif's last tenure as premier.

There was no official word from the PML-N or the army on the meeting.

Before the elections, Sharif had made some surprisingly positive statements on ties with India which many thought may not have gone down well with the Army, the News said.

The PML-N chief had said he is keen on resuming the India-Pakistan peace process that was interrupted in 1999 by then army chief Pervez Musharraf, who ousted Sharif's government in a military coup.

The report said Kayani called on Sharif to congratulate him on the PML-N's success in the general election and informally talked "about all national security issues".

He informed Sharif that the new premier and his cabinet would be given a briefing on all important internal and external national security challenges after their swearing-in.

The armed forces are "fully behind the democratic government and had worked hard for ensuring democracy", Kayani was quoted as saying.

Link - Take cautious, gradual initiatives: Kayani to Nawaz on Indo-Pak ties - Hindustan Times

 

[livingdead]

Very good advice. Kayani is being pragmatic.

 

[AADHAAR]

It would be Nawaz Sharif's biggest achievement, if he can drill into Kayani's head who's the boss.. and that in such a way that for all future times to come, army generals in Pakistan behave like they behave in other democratic countries.

That will be the best homage he can pay to the earlier "Nawaz Sharif" who was ruthlessly martyred in 1999, by this same army.

 

[third eye]

Army explains Kayani-Nawaz meeting

Army explains Kayani-Nawaz meeting - thenews.com.pk

DUBAI: The Nawaz-Kayani meeting will go a long way to ensure a smooth functioning of the democratic system, with complete focus on the domestic and regional security situation, a top military official said on Saturday night.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the meeting was basically arranged to prevent any suspicions and doubts in any quarter that there was any threat to democracy or the newly elected leadership.

General Kayani broke new ground and became the first army chief to call on a prime minister-elect. The visit to Nawaz Sharif, who has not even been sworn in as the country’s prime minister, can be seen as CBM to ensure that there was no tensions and clash of institutions, as some analysts had feared, specially after the statements by the PML-N chief about the retirement of General Kayani and relations with India.

Nawaz Sharif had before the elections spoken to an Indian channel and stated categorically that General Kayani was not expected to come to him for another extension and the senior-most general of the army will become the new army chief. He had also made some surprisingly positive statements about India which many thought may not have gone down well with the Army.

But the Saturday meeting dealt with all these issues and for more than three hours the two leaders tried to read each other’s lips and minds, the senior official said.

It is understood that General Kayani did not raise the issue of his extension at all, as he was obviously not supposed to, but there was a lingering feeling in the meeting that the vast experience and hands-on knowledge of handling critical matters for years must be put to some use.

When I asked a senior military official if this impression was correct, he said the culture of using the knowledge and experience of our talented people was growing but in Pakistan the reality has been that once a person is out of a job he is out of mind and sight.

Yet the official quoted some names of senior diplomats who were experts in foreign affairs and whose private views and suggestions had been sought and used by the defence establishment, off and on.

“This is a good trend which is catching up and this can be relevant for the military officers as well,” the official said, without even hinting that he was making any suggestion or comment about General Kayani’s role after he retires.

Analysts, however, said the Kayani-Nawaz meeting was a good sign that the army and the political class were now coming on the same page on national security issues and “there was an institutional thinking” behind what General Kayani stands for.

When I asked the senior official how the army will make up for the invaluable experience and expertise of General Kayani in handling sensitive issues, he said the institutions are always on the same page as their leaders and there should be no problems in a smooth transfer of batons within the institution while maintaining the same policies and strategies.

The army side is also aware of the criticism coming from some media and political quarters that General Kayani may have crossed some kind of a red line by offering such a major CBM to Nawaz Sharif.

“We want that there should be no fears in the political set-up about threats to the political system, as we saw in the last five years.”

 

[Hope4btr]

In the backdrop of Nawaz Sharif's positive remarks on ties with India, powerful Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has suggested Pakistan's Prime Minister - designate to take gradual initiatives with utmost caution for improving relations with New Delhi, a media report said on Sunday.

Kayani made the suggestion when he called on PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, set to become Prime Minister for a record third term following his party's victory in the May 11 polls, at his brother Shahbaz Sharif's home in Lahore on Saturday.

The News daily quoted its sources as saying that Kayani wanted the new government to take gradual initiatives with utmost caution to improve relations with India as this alone "may lead to lasting peace in the region".

Kayani ensured that Sharif "knew the exact situation on the ground with regard to Pakistan-India ties in the backdrop of developments over the last decade" as Sharif did not have first-hand experience in view of his absence from power, the report said.

In Kayani's view, the relationship between Pakistan and India "demands a comprehensive strategy for addressing the geopolitical challenges which have cropped up over the years" since Sharif's last tenure as premier.

There was no official word from the PML-N or the army on the meeting.

Before the elections, Sharif had made some surprisingly positive statements on ties with India which many thought may not have gone down well with the Army, the News said.

The PML-N chief had said he is keen on resuming the India-Pakistan peace process that was interrupted in 1999 by then army chief Pervez Musharraf, who ousted Sharif's government in a military coup.

The report said Kayani called on Sharif to congratulate him on the PML-N's success in the general election and informally talked "about all national security issues".

He informed Sharif that the new premier and his cabinet would be given a briefing on all important internal and external national security challenges after their swearing-in.

The armed forces are "fully behind the democratic government and had worked hard for ensuring democracy", Kayani was quoted as saying.

Link - Take cautious, gradual initiatives: Kayani to Nawaz on Indo-Pak ties - Hindustan Times

Its a big leap for pakistan but gradually the military should be under the political leadership. I hope Pakistanis people and the government slowly curbs military say in government policies. Every successful country has this system in place. Military can give advise when needed but cannot direct government to form it policies.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

Kayani was just laying out the rules for his puppet figurehead nawaz,disobey the rules and enjoy a second exile.
In return for playing the puppet,nawaz can squeeze the money dry and fill his bank acconts while his supporters chant''dekho dekho kaun aya''.Its not much different from india really,minus the military part.

 

[UmarJustice]

Kayani was just laying out the rules for his puppet figurehead nawaz,disobey the rules and enjoy a second exile.
In return for playing the puppet,nawaz can squeeze the money dry and fill his bank acconts while his supporters chant''dekho dekho kaun aya''.Its not much different from india really,minus the military part.

Kayani is not powerful as the previous generals.

 

[nair]

I would say Kayani is spot on here.... Any improvement in indo- Pak relationship should be.....Gradual and cautious.... Once you start trusting each other then things can move fast.... You cannot find a quick fix solution for our problems....

 

[Langda Tyaagi]

Of course military does not want good relations with India, because if it happena then PA will have to stop taking its lion's share in GDP in the name of defense.

 

[anant_s]

Sincerely hope this too is not one of those false dawns that we've had before.