Pakistan army thought of toppling the current political regime after this crisis was sparked by Zardari's attempt to bar Sharif from running for parliament and his refusal to reinstate the deposed chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry.
As a powerful protest movement of opposition supporters and lawyers grew in Sharif's stronghold of Lahore, western diplomats scrambled to defuse the situation with Kayani's help.
During his fourth meeting with Patterson in less than a week the taciturn army chief "hinted that he might, however reluctantly, have to persuade President Zardari to resign if the situation sharply deteriorates".
The military has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 63-year history. Even during civilian rule it dominates the US ally's security and foreign policy.
Kayani is a low-profile military man said to be well regarded by his US counterparts. He is a shrewd political operator, working behind the scenes to head off political instability.
The army chief made it clear at the time that he hoped the US could resolve the crisis through negotiation because he did not want Sharif in power.
Report (0) (0) |
12 years, 8 month(s) ago