Pak army, ISI chief may not focus on combating jihadism in future: Stratfor

In coming days, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf would have to share power with an army chief, this in turn would mean that army and ISI chiefs might not be able to focus on combating jihadism, a US think tank has claimed.

Washington, Sep 23 : In coming days, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf would have to share power with an army chief, this in turn would mean that army and ISI chiefs might not be able to focus on combating jihadism, a US think tank has claimed.

"The coming political transition is unlikely to foster stability because Musharraf would be sharing power with a civilian prime minister leading a coalition government, and with an army chief. This means the next Army Chief and the new head of the ISI could be heavily involved in politics at a time when they need to concentrate on combating jihadism," Stratfor said in its commentary.

"Among other problems, this could create a conflict between Washington and Islamabad over the United States' counter-terrorism imperatives," it said.

It further says, "Formally, he (Musharraf) would have this control; the Constitution gives the President power to appoint the chiefs of the three armed forces."

"However, since he would not hold the dual offices he has held since he came to power, Musharraf would have to share control with the next Chief of Army Staff. It is well known that from 1988 to 1999, when the army was not directly ruling the country, the sitting President was the one whose position was in danger during any struggle between rival political forces, because the Army Chief did not necessarily side with the President," the Stratfor said.

"To get around this problem, Musharraf is appointing and promoting people who would remain loyal to him after he takes a civilian role," it added.

Commenting on the appointment of Lt General Nadeem Taj as the new chief of the ISI, it said, Taj had played an instrumental role in the 2004 release of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's husband, Asif Zardari.

"Bhutto has a favourable opinion of Taj - an indication that his appointment as ISI director general is part of the ongoing Musharraf-Bhutto negotiations," Stratfor said.

ANI