Pakistan Army Seeks President’s Ouster

PM Accuses 'Conspirators' of Plotting Against Civilian Govt

Sources within Pakistan’s Army today confirm that their leadership is “fed up” with President Asif Ali Zardari, and are hoping to see him removed from power, though they are hoping to find a way to do this without a military coup.

Military coups are remarkably common in Pakistan’s history, but current military chief Gen. Parvez Kayani is relatively unique in his opposition to military intervention in civilian government operations.

The report that Zardari was behind the “coup memo” appears to be the straw that broke the camel’s back for the military. The report claimed Zardari was the source of a letter to US military commander Admiral Michael Mullen, seeking his help in ousting much of the Pakistani military’s leadership.

Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani condemned the reports, and demanded that the military submit itself to the current civilian government, saying that the current system was “unacceptable” and that the military could not continue to operate as a “state within a state.”

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.