LAHORE: The sacking of Pakistani National Security Advisor Major General ® Mahmood Durrani by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani for conceding that the Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani without even consulting President Asif Ali Zardari has further widened the gulf between the two power centres.
Zardari and Gilani have already developed serious differences due to the alleged interference of the Presidency in the governmental affairs, compelling Gillani to adopt a defiance posture and sack Durrani, only to make it clear to Zardari that he wants to run the government as the real chief executive and not as a dummy. Although General Durrani was advisor to the prime minister, he used to report to the Presidency despite repeated warnings from Gillani in the recent past. The official sources say the sacking of General Durrani shoes that Premier Gillani was running out of patience over Zardari’s increasing interference in the day-to-day running of the governmental affairs.
The official sources in Islamabad say General Durrani had issued the statement about Ajmal Kasab’s Pakistani nationality with the prior permission of President Zardari but he did not take the prime minister into confidence before giving an interview to an Indian television to make it public. The prime minister came to know about Durrani’s statement through electronic media. And hardly a couple of hours later, Premier Gillani made it a point that the president hears the news of Durrani’s sacking through television news bulletin, without even taking him into confidence.
Clarifying his position after being sacked, Durrani said, “I had only stated in the television interview that Ajmal Kasab could be a Pakistani national.” However, he regretted that the prime minister did not seek his explanation which resulted in his removal. Interestingly the statement attributed to General Durrani was sent to a number of the media persons by Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Sherry Rehman through SMS. The sources said that Gillani was making conscious efforts to emerge as a strong chief executive who commands support of the Parliament.
However, there are those in Islamabad who believe the Zardari-Gillani tussle may affect Pak-US ties. The foreign office sources say United States is exerting pressure on President Zardari to reinstate the sacked National Security Advisor. The sources say the unexpected dismissal of Durrani, who was considered close to senior American government officials and had served as ambassador to the US during the Musharraf regime, created a stir in the White House. Subsequently, the American ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson held a late night emergent meeting with Zardari as soon as he returned from his Kabul visit on Thursday and conveyed him the US demand to reinstate General ® Durrani who she said was coordinating the Pak-US effortsd in the ongoing war on terror. The President subsequently held a lengthy meeting with Gillani in Islamabad but reportedly failed to convince him to withdraw his recent dismissal orders.
However, talking to newsmen in Islamabad Friday, Premier Gillani said that General Durrani was sacked on his recommendation by President Asif Zardari for repeatedly violating official rules of business and for making unauthorized statements. He further refuted media reports that he has developed serious differences with President Asif Zardari, adding that had there been any truth in these reports, the president would not have sacked General Durrani on his recommendation.
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