Corps commanders express concern over Kerry-Lugar

The military-government differences on the conditions attached to an aid legislation approved by the US Congress, the so-called Kerry-Lugar bill, became more pronounced on Wednesday after the army’s top commanders, through a carefully drafted press statement, expressed their ‘serious concerns’ on some of the clauses of the bill that they believe would affect ‘national security’. At the same time they asked the government to build a national response on the controversial bill through a debate in the parliament. Unlike a benign two-line statement that is usually issued after most of the corps commanders’ meetings, the one released to the media on Wednesday left absolutely no doubt that the top brass was not only gravely disturbed over the conditions linked to the American aid legislation, they wanted to make their views public instead of just communicating them to the government through a formal channel. The corps commanders’ meeting, presided over by Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, decided to provide a formal input to the government. Mindful of the way the world views Pakistan and its nascent democratic institutions, the corps commanders’ forum observed that the parliament, which represented the will of the people, would deliberate on the issue, ‘enabling the government to develop a national response’. Unusual as the army commanders’ statement may be, it came against the backdrop of a raging debate in the country on the finer points of the Kerry-Lugar bill, which aims to provide billions of dollars in aid for social uplift in the country, particularly in areas directly affected by militancy and terrorism. The army’s objections mainly related to the clauses about the country’s nuclear programme, suggestions of Pakistan’s support for cross-border militancy and civilian government’s role in military promotions and appointments.