Pakistan PM: No Risk of Army Taking Over

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani downplayed the prospect of the ouster of his government and the establishment of a new military junta, insisting the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would remain in power through its current term.

“The army neither intends to come to power, nor will it do so,” Gilani insisted, adding that the world “will not accept any undemocratic move” on the part of the military.

Gilani’s statement comes as his government’s legitimacy is under increasing question, struggling with a humanitarian disaster and growing calls by key opposition figure Atlaf Hussain for the military to seize control of the government and oust the corrupt members of the ruling party. Gilani dismissed Hussain’s calls, insisting that the military won’t even comment on them.

Pakistan has a long history of military coups d’etat, with the most recent coming in 1999, when General Pervez Musharraf seized power and ruled through 2008. The current government came to power after a series of anti-Musharraf protests led to an election, but between clashes with the judiciary and a series of wars across the nation’s north, its ability to stay in power remains very much in doubt.