‘Kayani was reluctant to launch N Waziristan operation’
ISLAMABAD: A former Pakistan Army spokesperson has revealed that former army chief Gen (retd) Ashfaq Pervez Kayani was reluctant to launch a major military offensive against Taliban militants in North Waziristan despite the military leadership's decision three years ago.
Speaking during an interview with BBC Urdu published on Monday, former DG Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen (retd) Athar Abbas said that the military leadership of the country was in favour of launching the military offensive in 2010, however, it could not have been launched due to the indecision of Gen Kayani.
Abbas replied in the affirmative when questioned whether personal weaknesses of the former army chief played a part in the reluctance to launch the operation. “This is generally true,” he said.
“He (Kayani) was hesitant regarding the military offensive in North Waziristan … he was delaying the decision because he thought the decision would be considered as his personal verdict.” “That is why he kept on delaying the decision which cost us dearly,” Abbas added.
 |
| Former DG ISPR Maj Gen (r) Athar Abbas. – File Photo |
He said that this indecisiveness wasted a lot of time and the country, public, government and the armed forces paid a heavy price for it.
“The delay has strengthened the extremists … they have grown in numbers and they are more resourceful, they are better connected with each other now and in my opinion things have become more complicated,” said the former DG ISPR.
He revealed that the then top military leadership had decided to launch the military operation in North Waziristan upon recommendations of military commanders stationed there and on the basis of intelligence reports gathered from the area.
“The on ground military commanders were of the view that peace could not be restored in the country without a major military offensive because all kinds of militants had gathered in that area.”
Abbas said before that there were two kind of opinion prevailing among the top military leadership ranks. “One opinion was in favour of the offensive while another group was for delaying the action,” he added.
He said dealing with Haqqani Network was one of the reasons for the delay, adding that there was another issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Athar Abbas revealed that the United States also contributed to the indecision, saying that unremitting pressure of launching the operation from the American leadership made it difficult for the Pakistani authorities as it would have looked like a decision taken on the behest of the US.
Read more
Comments (147) Closed
That increases my respect even more for Raheel Shareef.
Yes we all know this.
Kayani has been one of the greatest Army chiefs.
In 2010.. you know who was ruling and we were debating about writing a letter to the Swiss courts... and immunity!
Musharraf's reason for choosing Kiyani as the COAS was because he was the only one who didn't say anything during meetings. We all know now that he didn't do anything either. But that was good for democracy of course.
It is because Raheel Shareef is brother of a warrior. It is in his blood.
His brother did not give up his fight even after some foolish general at GHQ decided to surrender in 1971.
Like Kyani, not all generals have been brave. After having retreated and surrendered in every war, we might finally have a brave gereral among our midst.
Zardari , Kiyani , Rehman malik , Gilani they all had one mission and that was to loot money
Our new general is the cousin of shaheed Aziz bhatti thats why hes so good
Now since this has started, everyone must support Mr Raheel Sharif. Pakistanis really have only two choices, either be with Army or be with terrorists. Being neautral is not a choice. And this must not end in false assumptions and dreams. Must continue until the last terrorist is eliminated. All intellectuals must formulate a strategy how to protect Pakistan's borders. The terrain may be difficult but nothing in the world is impossible. there must be a solution.
Indecision by an Army Cheif. Very Disappointing
And here goes the infamous notion spreaded by Shiekh Rasheed "Sattoo pee kay thand say bethay hoay hain"
If this is the matter, Kyani should be tried and should be punished for putting LIVES of both civil and military and wasting resources, defaming country.
Wrong person at the wrong time? But he was handpicked by Gen.(R) Pervaiz Musharrif himself.
Over the years I always thought why Kayani is not doing anything to crush Taliban. Was he sympathetic with Taliban, I was not sure. But I am sure his silence to, not to take the offensive against Taliban did harm to the country. I am Sure that Gen. Sharif is determine to clean Pakistan from Talibans and other extremist groups. May Allah Help Pakistan and its citizen.
Another difficult decision will be over throw corrupt Sharif Family. Mostly people benefiting from corrupt democracy will cry louder for a few days and will shut up. For ordinary people like me democracy and dictatorship does not make any difference. The only thing that will make a difference will be getting rid of the corrupt politicians and their families. Just like Thailand..Get them and their family. Get the money that belongs to the Pakistani people. Seize the properties and businesses and please dont hurt them or kill them just let them earn the money honestly in country like Pakistan will be worse than life in prison.
I am not sure about Gen. Kayani, how smart was he? But one things I can say with certainty that Gen. Abbas is not a smart man either, otherwise he would have NOT being a spoke person. Usually job like this goes to not so smart generals.
I think Gen Athars comments are in poor taste. It is quite unbecoming of a senior retired army officer to blame his then COAS. If he had such a significant problem with General Kayani he should have raised those issues then and should have resigned. This does not happen in any other decent armies around the world and in my opinion if he doesn't have anything valuable to add he should not say much. One last thing, as a Mag Gen with ISPR I don't think he was privy to all the information and big picture so much of his comments seem to be speculation to me. The aim here is not to defend Gen Kiyani but please don't defame an old solder here. He took the best decisions he could knowing the circumstances he had at that time. thanks and Long Live Pakistan
Gen. Kayani didn't have a mustache ... only Pak Army Generals that have mustaches have balls to fight terrorism ... such as Gen. Musharraf, Gen. Shareef, etc :)
shame on Gen kAYANI,CAUSE OF HIM,CANCER HAS SPREAD ALL OVER,will take years now to cure.
Who decided what, was best of their intentions. .we are with you..kyani or gen shareef
IN creating and equipping TTP and others, u didn't ask for approval of these political parties. and now for military operation against them, ur only excuse is the approval of these "confused" parties. That's awkward!!!
Rule of thumb: Our officers become geniuses with conscious right after their retirement.
Kayani wanted to preserve these extremists till the US got out of Afghanistan.... and then use them against India... but then the people of Pakistan had to pay a very heavy price
I thought there was a army Law against releasing Secrets.. Was not the major Gen .not promoted?
Pakistan army action, though delayed, makes a lot of sense but the problem of IDPs must be resolved on a priority basis.
This is exactly what I had been suspecting. Kayani was an indecisive person who liked being praised.
So now what???? Drag Kayani to the court and try him for treason? He should get Nishani-e- Haider for letting the civil government in place.
Typical Pakistan Culture. Blame it on the Guy who left. Wish & Pray we move away from this politics. The media report worldwide have now have confirmed what was a secret and that that Balochistan independence is a favored. Wake up Mr. Politician & Mr. Shadow folks. Work towards the problems at hand and towards any strategic balance that may backfire anyway. Wish they would make sure to eradicate the last Taliban from Pakistan.
On the hindsight any General with a Mustache will have the guts to take on a needed war. unlike Aslam Beg & Kiyani (No Mustache) and hence no guts.
Kiyani's second tenure was a complete failure.
When it comes to looking at this scenario as a whole, I am sure there are more than 50 shades of grey to it.....
This means General Raheel Sharif is a go-getter. Respect!
Yea and this Kayani was more interested in fulfilling his dreams of flying F-16 !!!!
Personal indictment was put first against National Interest causing HAVOC to Pakistan. Another reason to bring the Armed Forces including ISI under Civilian Leadership.
I cannot name enough incidences where thousands of Pak Army Jawans were beheaded, GHQ and our airbases with most expensive assets of Pakistan (reconnaissance planes) were attacked. Known incidences and involvement of RAW in destabilizing Baluchistan were uncovered and over 10,000 of innocent civilians / police officers lost thier lives right under his command. Not to forget the Americans who rolled in with their choppers and raided the compound of OBL in abbtobad causing huge embarrassment to the country
Kayani cared only for his extended tenure. In fact, he had expressed a desire to stay as COAS till after foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan, which would have meant for at least three more years.
Kayani grossly overestimated the fighting process of our tribal people.
Gen Kiyani proved disastrous first as DG ISI and then Army Chief, yet his political bosses were ever willing to grant him extensions. Nation has suffered tremendously due to non accountability of military brass.
Kayani will be busy in helping his brother building multi billion business empire. His DHA plots Gould be cancelled and given to families of martyr soldiers
So we sacrificed lives of thousands of our soldiers and civilians because of indecisiveness of military high command. Zardari was ruling the country , evidently he had no clout and was more interested in saving his presidency. Talibans attacked, GHQ, Rawalpindi,Navy Base, Karachi & Airforce complex in Kamra, yet Gen (retd) Kayani could not take any action ? Every body knew TTP was not a single party but over a dozen splinter groups each with separate agenda. Let us hope country backs armed forces fighting these bandits in North Waziristan.
I cant believe this guy is talking about inside military matters to the media.
Kayani was politicised. He was favouring corrupt politicians and was probably more interested in securing high paid job of his family members (like his brother in Behria Town at unbelievably high salary). Both he and Iftikhar Chaudhry should go through accountability for super favours for their family otherwise this trend will harm Pakistan. Raheel sharif is a God fearing professional.
So when Pak Army is defeated and is forced to sign another "Shakai Agreement" with Taliban, Kiyani will be vindicated.
"Better late than never" Inshallah our brave Jawans will rid these terrorists from our lands.
A general who cannot decide , has put our beloved country in harms way
a criminal wrong having dire impacts.
Military offensive of this magnitude requires overwhelming public support, but military is not equipped with a platform to garner such a support. This responsibility rests on politicians and the media, however, these two institution lack the sincerity, honesty and the vision towards the national interest. One is busy to stay in power by any means, while the other is focused on their ratings. Between the two they have created a mess, a mess of confusion of grand proportion. In such circumstance indecision by General Kayani makes sense.
So Kayani is directly responsible for all the people killed since 2010 in Taliban terrorist activities.
Why should General Abbas reveal such information now which if it is true, was essentially an internal affair of the Army. DG ISPR is a trusted subordinate of army chief; the institutional norms warrant that such loyalty should never be forsaken. I shall be surprised if he made such remarks in case he was promoted by General Kiyani to the next rank, surely he would not have. A person of the grace of General Abbas should have relented before making such a statement involving the reputation of a former superior regardless of his personal grievances.
Kayani's missed a golden opportunity of mounting coordinated operation on both sides of the border which was suggested by US. Such an operation would have eliminated large numbers of terrorists who have now found safe havens now to fight another day. The military should press on regardless till a total victory is achieved which may take some time but the operation should not be stopped mid-way due to apologist politicians or delay in achieving the objective otherwise it will tantamount to surrender of half a million military to a bunch of terrorists holding the whole nation to ransom.
Raheel Shareef should be careful from ISIS (Army of Islamic Caliphate) ...
Kayani was pragmatic, mature and aware of the consequences, that's why he was reluctant. Besides, he refused to take orders from foreign agencies and ignored personal benefits.
This is not good ! Before politicians do that now Army personnel speaking against each other.. He shouldn't have said that...
That's why once Musharraf was asked about his opinion on Ashfaq Kayani appointment as Army Chief and Musharraf preferred to stay quiet. No doubt Kayani is nice person but he lacked aggression.
Again .. this shows that our country run by military, in normal circumstances it is not army chief to make such decision. His position can contribute in making decision but the responsibility and authority lies on civilian government. By making such statements, military is showing that they are the on the driving seat now also. Otherwise I don't see a reason for this type of revelation at this time. Very pathetic situation, something strong need to be done to change this mind set.
I always knew that this Kiyani fellow was no good for the country. He basically did nothing which gave a great deal of time to the extremists and now they are a sophisticated force. Kiyani should be tried for treason for acting against the interest of Pakistan and not Musharraf, get the facts right.
We all know it very well.
And the public has been told that the politicians were weak knee about the whole thing.
I think Kayani's reluctance at that time was based on following three major factors: 1. The Political leadership specially PML (N) was not on board for an army action. They were favouring a dialogue . 2. In presence of continuous American pressure the right wing parties and PML (N) would have not supported the army action. 3. The electronic media was giving more airtime to terrorists sympathisers and those who criticised the army.
Pakistanis always find other people to blame, he was a good honest man when I met him about 20 years ago. stop blaming and clean the country first of extremists then stage a war against the corrupt
Why Mr. Abbas is disclosing the details of military meetings and what benefit is he trying to achieve by doing it now when the operation is in full swing?
Musharf started all this mess. A wanna be leader now he is trying to run away.
Thank God for Raheel Shariff
Like now at that time the political will was not so charged up. Zardari was too busy executing his business plan. Anyway what has been decided now to crush TTP is working good & we hope to see peace returning soon. TTP members & their affiliates are on the run & Inshallah they will be finished soon. The nation remembers well how during the last Ramadan TTP carried out suicide attack in Peshawar market killing scores of innocent men, women & children, I feel depressed re collecting the aftermath of the attack. Shame & disgrace to TTP & their supporters.
What a stupid comment from an army official????
@Aamir telling the truth? military or civilain.. the truth has to come out we will ask in the future why we didnt nib the evil in the bud and why did we allow these butchers and mass murderers become so fearless and so powerful resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of lives
Lame duck COAS! Reluctant for what? while thousands of citizens died, he stood on the sidelines. Plus the Abottabad debacle...this guy was playing too much politics.
I cannot believe this, General Kiyani was appointed by General Perveez Musharaf, and he is a very competent officer. I can still recall his rhetoric about the Taliban's, and he was not in favor to be lenient on them. It is very much possible that he delayed the operation because he would never take orders from the United States, and that shows how determined and a self motivated person he is. There were many other factors, which restrict the offensive against the Taliban's, but to say that General Kiyani was no competent or had no intentions to eliminate these terrorists is beyond truth. General Raheel no doubt is a very fine soldier, but he should not try to take the entire credit for this operation against the Talibans.
I cannot believe this, General Kiyani was appointed by General Perveez Musharaf, and he is a very competent officer. I can still recall his rhetoric about the Taliban's, and he was not in favor to be lenient on them. It is very much possible that he delayed the operation because he would never take orders from the United States, and that shows how determined and a self motivated person he is. There were many other factors, which restrict the offensive against the Taliban's, but to say that General Kiyani was no competent or had no intentions to eliminate these terrorists is beyond truth. General Raheel no doubt is a very fine soldier, but he should not try to take the entire credit for this operation against the Talibans.
If Kayani made that decision at the time, the outlook was completely different then. People were screaming against drone attacks. An attack then with the consequences of refuges wouldn
@EW Alas 20 years back a lot of people were honest
General Raheel Sharif, true to the traditions of his brother, is a brave and intelligent general. Unfortunately Kayani was not and more interested in other activities. His indecisiveness cost Pakistan billions of dollars and thousands of lives.
If Kayani was reluctant, where was Asif Ali Zardari ? Constitution makes president head of armed forces.
If you are going to take a couple of billion dollars and eat it every year, you will have to take orders. Your entire society is imploding with corruption and religious hypocrisy and you keep pointing fingers at the United States/West. Please wake up and smell the coffee...(at sehri)!
@ejaz In my personal view; spokes persons are generally those people who are smart thinkers and quick learners plus he should be spontaneous aswell. Taking in view above defined criteria I think General Abbas would have been a smart guy with integrity that's why he was awarded with Pakistan's Army Spokes persons job. And for you information, he has held several other key position aswell.
Is Athar Abbas allowed to disclose this information? There should be certain time-limit for which the information remain classified and that time-limit should be a lot longer than few years - unless the institute renders the information unclassified.
@Mohammad Waseem
But, the military is corrupt too!
Was the Swat operation indecision on behalf of Kayani??
Even after holding that decision for three or four years, our army was so ill-prepared in launching that operation. The way the civil-military leadership tackled IDPs issue so far is literally pathetic and beyond any rationale.
Kyani's body language was not that of true Commander,he never ever appeared confident,he looked too soft & shy but this is what we get sometimes at the top when Politicians interfere in appointing the Chief.This reminds me of standards the British had for their officers which continued after Independence but gradually deteriorated over period of time. Maj Gen (Retd) Athar Abbas has correctly pointed out his inability to act when time was ripe, by just avoiding to take responsibility one fails to display his leadership quality that too at the top.
All those lashing out at kiyani should not forget the foot-dragging of PML-N, and raucous opposition of PTI and JI to this issue.
Kayani did a disservice to Pakistan. Extremism must be rooted out in its entirety whether it comes from Taliban or their tentacles or from MQM. It must be eliminated. Even if it requires to kill these extremists. They must respect Pakistan, its constitution, its laws and struggle to make it better and improve rule of law and justice. Picking up guns is no solution, it has no justification, it has no possibility of success.
in my opinion kyani should charged for murder of thousand of people because of his weak spine Pakistan has suffer tremendously ,he watched people of Pakistan got rob in may election, his brother are ripping the coutry they are all corrupt s....
@Nuur Hasan
If Kayani is vindicated, then who takes the responsibility of killing thousands soldiers & civilians ?
Gen. Keyani was a passive General. He buttered Mush to get the command. Buttering up seniors in forces is attenuating leadership abilities! Medicares are getting to top in Air Force/Navy/Army.
Its all in the name..if read in punjabi dilect... 'kaya ni'... :)
This is a retired ISPR officer opinion, presented by media as a fact because it sounds juicy. The major problem of launching an operation in NWA was not Kayani but rather the political opposition. Only PPP was okay with an operation while both PML-N and PTI were both opposed to a military operation It was more a lack of political unity then General Kayani's decision. It would have been stupid for Gen Kayani to go ahead with an operation without broad based political backing
We all know aggrement made for US/UK NRO for crimals rulers, Extention for three years for himself compromised Kayani .But Why you choose BBC as platform since its BBC involved in it. you should done this at local pakistan media.Any way waiting for what will come out of this month dramas.
Military is the last option you have to clean your country, kayani in my opinion was right never get army instead create a new force cause army can clean it up but the reprucusion of this can be fatal for the country.
@Riaz So did Ayub, Yahya, Zia and Musharah and they either surrendered or begged for ceasefire.
I think somebody needs to bring a petition in the Pakistan Supreme Court. Try Kayani in court. Many people have lost their lives because of his inaction. he should be help accountable too. No wonder in interviews whenever asked about Kayani Musharraf would always say "no comment".
@Feyyaz ...If Nawaz can label Musharraf a "traitor" why shouldn't Maj General Athar speak the truth about Kayani ???..
Gen Kayani is Brutus too Gen Musharraf and Gen Abbas is close to Musharraf , now you do the maths
Shame on Kayani for his inability to take a stand and holding the situation in doldrums. He is one of the worst Generals ever in the Pak Army!
I'm glad cowards with s@ud1 funded bank accounts don't lead our army anymore.
Gen Ashfaq Kiani was a disgrace to the Pakistan Army. He stooped very low before corrupt rulers like Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. I am positive that he received tons of money and therefore acted like their paid servant. I was surprised that he visited the house of Nawaz Sharif at Model Town at least twice and also to NS Raiwind home. He wanted to remain as COAS with PM Nawaz Sharif till the next five years, but there was immense uneasiness in the Army Generals that a revolt was imminent. It is absolutely wrong to say that America was not interested in finishing off theTaliban. It was the biggest mistake of Gen Pervaiz Musharraf to promote Kiani even to a rank of Major General because was not competent except being a YES MAN. . Going into the background od Gen Kiani, he was the son of a sepoy of the pakistan army. Gen Kiani received his education from King George Military College of Jehlum where only chidren of other ranks go. This college has produced some very bright Officers who normally retire as Brigadiers. These officers are extremely respectful to their immediate seniors.
If an impartial inquiry is done on Gen Kiani, it will be seen where he got all this wealth from. No one ever mentions that Gen Kiani comes from a marshal background like Gen Raheel Sharif. Gen Kiani never dressed himself like an officer should do. He wore a cap which is worn with your dinner jacket on ceremonial occasions. Due to his corruptness and greed, he blocked the promotion of many generals.
Why would Athar Abbas choose BBC Urdu to relay this interview? Kayani known as 'aapa' was not the right person for the job anyways, but is this interview another tactic to demean the Army....
Maj.Gen Abbas is spilling beans now , wonder if he ever was bold enough to express his views when he was in service. - Do we see a book penned by him in near future ?
General Kayani put a lot of emphasis on the individual soldier - they were given better night fighting equipment, new digital camouflage uniforms, many other procurements (like tender for new improved long range Sniper rifles for SSG special forces). List goes on. How Gen. Kayani fared on counter insurgency, let the history books decide.
I actually respect Kiyani... In my opinion the dissent created by US... First Raymond Davis, then Bin Laden and also the constant barrage of air drone strikes... Then the immense pressure by the US to force us to attack and displace hundreds of thousands of people... This isn't the first time we have launched an operation... We have been fighting them since 2004... We had Operation Rah-e-Haq, Operation Zalzala, Battle of Bajaur, Operation Sherdil, Operation Black Thunderstorm, Operation Rah-e-Nijat, Orakzai and Kurram offensive, Operation Rah-e-Shahadat and now finally Zarb-e-Azb.... So Kiyani whether he should have fought one extra battle in dire circumstances created by PPP is irrelevant... I would rather be cautiously optimistic that hopefully this would be final one. But zero credit goes to PML-N as they have politicize the situation... All the credit goes to all those fallen comrades and may peace be upon the people who died...
Keyani was a very wise man & made the right decision.
The people who know Gen Kiyani will never stop thanking him all through their lives. He served as a COAS in the most difficult time of Pakistan. If he had started the action at that time, Pakistan would be worse than Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Due to his foresight, Pakistan is not only a democratic state but also is not destroyed completely. He had so much pressure from all over including his own ranks but he did the right thing for Pakistan.
I see more than hundred comments on this news item. They are all talking about Kayani's decision to attack or not to attack Taliban. None of you realize that in democratic system civilian government makes such divisions, not the army. Do you really know what democracy means? You should all be ashamed.
Kayani's inaction was the direct consequence of the idiotic doctrine of 'Strategic Depth'. Instead of invoking the wrath of the USA and Afghanistan, had he realized that in eliminating the terrorists of all hue lied the salvation of Pakistan. Pakistan doesn't need the help of a puppet Taliban government, whom it created to keep Afghanistan at bay, a country which was hostile to us from day one of the creation of Pakistan, being a backward country was no match for Pakistan's superior armed forces and posed no threat to Pakistan, with or without the Taliban in power but the terror that was unleashed as a result of befriending the terrorists nullified any gains that could have come later in the form of a friendly government in Afghanistan.
@wisdom foolish and ridiculous statement ,what so ever by super smart wisdom
@Ali really? He must be your relative? Wake up. He was most coward general in pak army's history. He let terorist groups grow and let Zardari rob the country's wealth. Since, he couldn't make that decision to launch operation against terrorists or Zardari then he should have stepped down long ago. At least he owed it to the nation if his conscious was not sleeping?
@Last Word First, COAS appointment should be done by Full parliament not by likes of General Musharaaf, secondly, no extensions . Civilian should decide and army to execute - not army to decide . If USA or any other country recommends - why Pakistani govt . cannot decide what favors them ? Anything and everything USA recommends is bad - seems Pakistani govt unable to touch -- if it was recommended by the USA - even it favors them.. Thats why people should vote and choose right candidates - thats why merit is recommended not loyal persons - rather capable one . Now this debate should end - move on to the future and learn from the past ..
@Ayesha credit goes to General Sharif not to NS.
Why is this relevant in 2014?
When terrorists were massacring our soldiers and civilians, general kiyani was a silent spectator. He should be held responsible for the loss of thousands of lives and property worth billions of dollars.
If It is was not the weakness of Kayani, how would we know that the Aleem-e-deen are behind terrorism because they call them Shaheed. This operation should not stop after eradicating terrorists; it should go after the mullahs that initiated it.
Kiyani was far more competent, knowledgeable and sagacious than Raheel.. He was very right in his decision not to wage war unnecessarily in NW..
@Najma Why is history relevant anymore? Is it what you are trying to say?
Nothing else can explain his six years of doing nothing.
Army has been operating continuously against Terrorists. This statement is being seen in isolation. During same period, operation was carried out in South Waziristan, Orakzai, Mahmand & bajaur & not to forget Swat, Buner. So when Army faces multiple threats, operations are always phased. North being the strongest was to be under taken after clearing neighboring agencies. Army not only faced terrorists during this period, but also faced the onslaught of Media & Judiciary. Political Forces were also part of this campaign to pay back to taking over power in recent past. Please put things in correct perspective & lets all contribute to the country.
Pakistanis should thank GOD that the country was not at war with another country. Indecisiveness of the chief would have cost dearly.Raheel Sharief is decisive while his namesake heading the civilian government is not. One down and one to go. Getting there albeit slowly.
Once again,we are reminded of Madam Hillary Clinton's statement that Pakistan cannot afford to keep deadly poisonous snakes in her backyard and hope that they will bite only her neighbours.
In retrospect this decision should have been taken long ago.
@Ali Gen Raheel Brother of Maj Shabbir Shareef Shaheed
all the military officials try to get themselves clean after retirement. my utmost respect for Gen Kayani. He took the right decision by not launching the operation, whether it was due to undecisiveness or any other reason. do u people think that current operation is a total mess clean up, no never it cannot be ever, until they give up on the idea of strategic depth. so another misery for pakhtoon from current operation.
It is not fair to criticize Kiyani for not launching a war against militants in NW. That was 2010 and now it is 2014. With the passage of time, the ground realities change. Why did Nawaz Sharif wasted 6 months in just gossiping with the militants and making fool of all TV channels and the end result was to look at Raheel . Army intervened when civilians failed and rather surrendered before the militants and as such Army came to the rescue of the government before the militants declare or announce the new caliph of IP ( islamic pakistan ) just like ISIS ( present Iraq drama)
Gen Athar was spokesman of Kiyani. If he voiced in his presence we may respect him. it is culture in Pakistan that we are enjoying all benefits from our benefactors and once they quit we starts blaming upon them. If we are so bold, sincere and loyal to our country why should not speak in front of our benefactors..... hypocrisy prevail!
@Ganga Din : I agree Kiyani was a man of principal, brave and rationale. He did a great job for army, however one unfortunate incident of Abbottabad sting his career otherwise he was mature enough to take decision in the best interest of nation. He kept army away from politics even there was justification for takeover during PP govt. He also disassociated himself and Pak army from Musharraf which was great job in itself!
Kiyani was a wise General .who brought back the honour of Army.. his decision was based on the situation. Athar is making numbers to get media focus
One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. he indeed deserve our respect, He knew from the beginning military operation is not the solution. a far sighted man indeed. i guess...When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
In the recent past Kayani and Iftikhar Chaudhary because of their actions indirectly contributed in the spreading of extremism and terrorism in Pakistan. As saying goes, if you are not the part of solution then you are part of the problem.
Our country has not come in such a difficult and painful condition on its own. The powerful people in the past have their role in it.
firm decisions not visible
In a country of good governance, these decisions are only made by an elected government. An army cannot refuse and should not refuse an order from the PM
@fida sayani Sindhi
Ayub Khan too? That was the most peaceful and prosperous time in the history of Pakistan. There was no terrorism or anything like it. A lot of dignitaries from various countries visited and were able to ride open cars etc.
General Kiyani was the favorite of Ms Benazir Bhutto and was made COAS as a part of NRO deal authored by David Millyband, former UK Foreign Secretary and implemented by the US. Musharraf had no choice but to elevate him to the top slot.
Athar Abbas please don't politicize the things. Most of us know why the ex Chief was reluctant.
i bet 'no' was not a word in dictionary of gen athar abbas when he was in service. even when gen kayani, as per his purporting, bickered about operation, this general would have said nothing but "yes, sir; u r right sir, sure sir, excellent idea sir"
Gen Kayani was a lion and ever ready to operate against Swatis and Mehsuds but all his courage deserted him when he had to face Waziris. Gen Raheel Sharif on the other hand is a genuine lion and is not afraid of any tribe.
der aya durst aya!
@Hassan Even the present war is an eyewash, the good talibans are sent into safe heavens , to be used later. This is old Pakistani trick.
@Riaz you forgot creating and sustaining terrorists too...all muchhads (remember Zia) have shown tendency to wheel and deal and pal around with terrorists
LOL. The reluctant generals and reluctant leaders are useless to the security and prosperity of the country, in fact to any country.
Raheel Shareef is real hero... hats off to him ...
@GA He was chosen as part of a deal between PM and BB, because Kayani was the military secretary of BB once upon a time
I just want to laugh. This man is bad mouthing his boss. What was his job? The media. Not the war. Of course, army also has doctors and nurses and even cooks. This guy also retired as a Maj General, or just barely a General in a non-combat trade. It is like cook opines on how the bullet should have been shot.
@Ali Really ? How ?
There is no need for giving interviews to any foreign news agencies. This adds more controversies and the nation gets more depressed. There must be genuine reasons for not going for operation at that time.
@Ali No he was not!!!!
@ejaz It is amazing that Army do not select a smart General as its spokesman are you from Army or you just want to defame it
@Mujtaba You missed out Iftikhar Chaudhry .
This General's comments itself negate his own credibility. Kayani was honorable and brave soldier like Musharraf. I am wondering who is pulling his strings.
Does he not know the protocol and how to safeguard the interest of Pakistan. People like him bring bad name to the country and the whole nation suffers.
@msa What makes you think we have democracy in Pakistan?NS has none in his own party...so how can he be called a democratic leader?
He was always a reluctant fundamentalist.
Comments (147) Closed
That increases my respect even more for Raheel Shareef.
Yes we all know this.
Kayani has been one of the greatest Army chiefs.
In 2010.. you know who was ruling and we were debating about writing a letter to the Swiss courts... and immunity!
Musharraf's reason for choosing Kiyani as the COAS was because he was the only one who didn't say anything during meetings. We all know now that he didn't do anything either. But that was good for democracy of course.
It is because Raheel Shareef is brother of a warrior. It is in his blood.
His brother did not give up his fight even after some foolish general at GHQ decided to surrender in 1971.
Like Kyani, not all generals have been brave. After having retreated and surrendered in every war, we might finally have a brave gereral among our midst.
Zardari , Kiyani , Rehman malik , Gilani they all had one mission and that was to loot money
Our new general is the cousin of shaheed Aziz bhatti thats why hes so good
Now since this has started, everyone must support Mr Raheel Sharif. Pakistanis really have only two choices, either be with Army or be with terrorists. Being neautral is not a choice. And this must not end in false assumptions and dreams. Must continue until the last terrorist is eliminated. All intellectuals must formulate a strategy how to protect Pakistan's borders. The terrain may be difficult but nothing in the world is impossible. there must be a solution.
Indecision by an Army Cheif. Very Disappointing
And here goes the infamous notion spreaded by Shiekh Rasheed "Sattoo pee kay thand say bethay hoay hain"
If this is the matter, Kyani should be tried and should be punished for putting LIVES of both civil and military and wasting resources, defaming country.
Wrong person at the wrong time? But he was handpicked by Gen.(R) Pervaiz Musharrif himself.
Over the years I always thought why Kayani is not doing anything to crush Taliban. Was he sympathetic with Taliban, I was not sure. But I am sure his silence to, not to take the offensive against Taliban did harm to the country. I am Sure that Gen. Sharif is determine to clean Pakistan from Talibans and other extremist groups. May Allah Help Pakistan and its citizen.
Another difficult decision will be over throw corrupt Sharif Family. Mostly people benefiting from corrupt democracy will cry louder for a few days and will shut up. For ordinary people like me democracy and dictatorship does not make any difference. The only thing that will make a difference will be getting rid of the corrupt politicians and their families. Just like Thailand..Get them and their family. Get the money that belongs to the Pakistani people. Seize the properties and businesses and please dont hurt them or kill them just let them earn the money honestly in country like Pakistan will be worse than life in prison.
I am not sure about Gen. Kayani, how smart was he? But one things I can say with certainty that Gen. Abbas is not a smart man either, otherwise he would have NOT being a spoke person. Usually job like this goes to not so smart generals.
I think Gen Athars comments are in poor taste. It is quite unbecoming of a senior retired army officer to blame his then COAS. If he had such a significant problem with General Kayani he should have raised those issues then and should have resigned. This does not happen in any other decent armies around the world and in my opinion if he doesn't have anything valuable to add he should not say much. One last thing, as a Mag Gen with ISPR I don't think he was privy to all the information and big picture so much of his comments seem to be speculation to me. The aim here is not to defend Gen Kiyani but please don't defame an old solder here. He took the best decisions he could knowing the circumstances he had at that time. thanks and Long Live Pakistan
Gen. Kayani didn't have a mustache ... only Pak Army Generals that have mustaches have balls to fight terrorism ... such as Gen. Musharraf, Gen. Shareef, etc :)
shame on Gen kAYANI,CAUSE OF HIM,CANCER HAS SPREAD ALL OVER,will take years now to cure.
Who decided what, was best of their intentions. .we are with you..kyani or gen shareef
IN creating and equipping TTP and others, u didn't ask for approval of these political parties. and now for military operation against them, ur only excuse is the approval of these "confused" parties. That's awkward!!!
Rule of thumb: Our officers become geniuses with conscious right after their retirement.
Kayani wanted to preserve these extremists till the US got out of Afghanistan.... and then use them against India... but then the people of Pakistan had to pay a very heavy price
I thought there was a army Law against releasing Secrets.. Was not the major Gen .not promoted?
Pakistan army action, though delayed, makes a lot of sense but the problem of IDPs must be resolved on a priority basis.
This is exactly what I had been suspecting. Kayani was an indecisive person who liked being praised.
So now what???? Drag Kayani to the court and try him for treason? He should get Nishani-e- Haider for letting the civil government in place.
Typical Pakistan Culture. Blame it on the Guy who left. Wish & Pray we move away from this politics. The media report worldwide have now have confirmed what was a secret and that that Balochistan independence is a favored. Wake up Mr. Politician & Mr. Shadow folks. Work towards the problems at hand and towards any strategic balance that may backfire anyway. Wish they would make sure to eradicate the last Taliban from Pakistan.
On the hindsight any General with a Mustache will have the guts to take on a needed war. unlike Aslam Beg & Kiyani (No Mustache) and hence no guts.
Kiyani's second tenure was a complete failure.
When it comes to looking at this scenario as a whole, I am sure there are more than 50 shades of grey to it.....
This means General Raheel Sharif is a go-getter. Respect!
Yea and this Kayani was more interested in fulfilling his dreams of flying F-16 !!!!
Personal indictment was put first against National Interest causing HAVOC to Pakistan. Another reason to bring the Armed Forces including ISI under Civilian Leadership.
I cannot name enough incidences where thousands of Pak Army Jawans were beheaded, GHQ and our airbases with most expensive assets of Pakistan (reconnaissance planes) were attacked. Known incidences and involvement of RAW in destabilizing Baluchistan were uncovered and over 10,000 of innocent civilians / police officers lost thier lives right under his command. Not to forget the Americans who rolled in with their choppers and raided the compound of OBL in abbtobad causing huge embarrassment to the country
Kayani cared only for his extended tenure. In fact, he had expressed a desire to stay as COAS till after foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan, which would have meant for at least three more years.
Kayani grossly overestimated the fighting process of our tribal people.
Gen Kiyani proved disastrous first as DG ISI and then Army Chief, yet his political bosses were ever willing to grant him extensions. Nation has suffered tremendously due to non accountability of military brass.
Kayani will be busy in helping his brother building multi billion business empire. His DHA plots Gould be cancelled and given to families of martyr soldiers
So we sacrificed lives of thousands of our soldiers and civilians because of indecisiveness of military high command. Zardari was ruling the country , evidently he had no clout and was more interested in saving his presidency. Talibans attacked, GHQ, Rawalpindi,Navy Base, Karachi & Airforce complex in Kamra, yet Gen (retd) Kayani could not take any action ? Every body knew TTP was not a single party but over a dozen splinter groups each with separate agenda. Let us hope country backs armed forces fighting these bandits in North Waziristan.
I cant believe this guy is talking about inside military matters to the media.
Kayani was politicised. He was favouring corrupt politicians and was probably more interested in securing high paid job of his family members (like his brother in Behria Town at unbelievably high salary). Both he and Iftikhar Chaudhry should go through accountability for super favours for their family otherwise this trend will harm Pakistan. Raheel sharif is a God fearing professional.
So when Pak Army is defeated and is forced to sign another "Shakai Agreement" with Taliban, Kiyani will be vindicated.
"Better late than never" Inshallah our brave Jawans will rid these terrorists from our lands.
A general who cannot decide , has put our beloved country in harms way
a criminal wrong having dire impacts.
Military offensive of this magnitude requires overwhelming public support, but military is not equipped with a platform to garner such a support. This responsibility rests on politicians and the media, however, these two institution lack the sincerity, honesty and the vision towards the national interest. One is busy to stay in power by any means, while the other is focused on their ratings. Between the two they have created a mess, a mess of confusion of grand proportion. In such circumstance indecision by General Kayani makes sense.
So Kayani is directly responsible for all the people killed since 2010 in Taliban terrorist activities.
Why should General Abbas reveal such information now which if it is true, was essentially an internal affair of the Army. DG ISPR is a trusted subordinate of army chief; the institutional norms warrant that such loyalty should never be forsaken. I shall be surprised if he made such remarks in case he was promoted by General Kiyani to the next rank, surely he would not have. A person of the grace of General Abbas should have relented before making such a statement involving the reputation of a former superior regardless of his personal grievances.
Kayani's missed a golden opportunity of mounting coordinated operation on both sides of the border which was suggested by US. Such an operation would have eliminated large numbers of terrorists who have now found safe havens now to fight another day. The military should press on regardless till a total victory is achieved which may take some time but the operation should not be stopped mid-way due to apologist politicians or delay in achieving the objective otherwise it will tantamount to surrender of half a million military to a bunch of terrorists holding the whole nation to ransom.
Raheel Shareef should be careful from ISIS (Army of Islamic Caliphate) ...
Kayani was pragmatic, mature and aware of the consequences, that's why he was reluctant. Besides, he refused to take orders from foreign agencies and ignored personal benefits.
This is not good ! Before politicians do that now Army personnel speaking against each other.. He shouldn't have said that...
That's why once Musharraf was asked about his opinion on Ashfaq Kayani appointment as Army Chief and Musharraf preferred to stay quiet. No doubt Kayani is nice person but he lacked aggression.
Again .. this shows that our country run by military, in normal circumstances it is not army chief to make such decision. His position can contribute in making decision but the responsibility and authority lies on civilian government. By making such statements, military is showing that they are the on the driving seat now also. Otherwise I don't see a reason for this type of revelation at this time. Very pathetic situation, something strong need to be done to change this mind set.
I always knew that this Kiyani fellow was no good for the country. He basically did nothing which gave a great deal of time to the extremists and now they are a sophisticated force. Kiyani should be tried for treason for acting against the interest of Pakistan and not Musharraf, get the facts right.
We all know it very well.
And the public has been told that the politicians were weak knee about the whole thing.
I think Kayani's reluctance at that time was based on following three major factors: 1. The Political leadership specially PML (N) was not on board for an army action. They were favouring a dialogue . 2. In presence of continuous American pressure the right wing parties and PML (N) would have not supported the army action. 3. The electronic media was giving more airtime to terrorists sympathisers and those who criticised the army.
Pakistanis always find other people to blame, he was a good honest man when I met him about 20 years ago. stop blaming and clean the country first of extremists then stage a war against the corrupt
Why Mr. Abbas is disclosing the details of military meetings and what benefit is he trying to achieve by doing it now when the operation is in full swing?
Musharf started all this mess. A wanna be leader now he is trying to run away.
Thank God for Raheel Shariff
Like now at that time the political will was not so charged up. Zardari was too busy executing his business plan. Anyway what has been decided now to crush TTP is working good & we hope to see peace returning soon. TTP members & their affiliates are on the run & Inshallah they will be finished soon. The nation remembers well how during the last Ramadan TTP carried out suicide attack in Peshawar market killing scores of innocent men, women & children, I feel depressed re collecting the aftermath of the attack. Shame & disgrace to TTP & their supporters.
What a stupid comment from an army official????
@Aamir telling the truth? military or civilain.. the truth has to come out we will ask in the future why we didnt nib the evil in the bud and why did we allow these butchers and mass murderers become so fearless and so powerful resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of lives
Lame duck COAS! Reluctant for what? while thousands of citizens died, he stood on the sidelines. Plus the Abottabad debacle...this guy was playing too much politics.
I cannot believe this, General Kiyani was appointed by General Perveez Musharaf, and he is a very competent officer. I can still recall his rhetoric about the Taliban's, and he was not in favor to be lenient on them. It is very much possible that he delayed the operation because he would never take orders from the United States, and that shows how determined and a self motivated person he is. There were many other factors, which restrict the offensive against the Taliban's, but to say that General Kiyani was no competent or had no intentions to eliminate these terrorists is beyond truth. General Raheel no doubt is a very fine soldier, but he should not try to take the entire credit for this operation against the Talibans.
I cannot believe this, General Kiyani was appointed by General Perveez Musharaf, and he is a very competent officer. I can still recall his rhetoric about the Taliban's, and he was not in favor to be lenient on them. It is very much possible that he delayed the operation because he would never take orders from the United States, and that shows how determined and a self motivated person he is. There were many other factors, which restrict the offensive against the Taliban's, but to say that General Kiyani was no competent or had no intentions to eliminate these terrorists is beyond truth. General Raheel no doubt is a very fine soldier, but he should not try to take the entire credit for this operation against the Talibans.
If Kayani made that decision at the time, the outlook was completely different then. People were screaming against drone attacks. An attack then with the consequences of refuges wouldn
@EW Alas 20 years back a lot of people were honest
General Raheel Sharif, true to the traditions of his brother, is a brave and intelligent general. Unfortunately Kayani was not and more interested in other activities. His indecisiveness cost Pakistan billions of dollars and thousands of lives.
If Kayani was reluctant, where was Asif Ali Zardari ? Constitution makes president head of armed forces.
If you are going to take a couple of billion dollars and eat it every year, you will have to take orders. Your entire society is imploding with corruption and religious hypocrisy and you keep pointing fingers at the United States/West. Please wake up and smell the coffee...(at sehri)!
@ejaz In my personal view; spokes persons are generally those people who are smart thinkers and quick learners plus he should be spontaneous aswell. Taking in view above defined criteria I think General Abbas would have been a smart guy with integrity that's why he was awarded with Pakistan's Army Spokes persons job. And for you information, he has held several other key position aswell.
Is Athar Abbas allowed to disclose this information? There should be certain time-limit for which the information remain classified and that time-limit should be a lot longer than few years - unless the institute renders the information unclassified.
@Mohammad Waseem
But, the military is corrupt too!
Was the Swat operation indecision on behalf of Kayani??
Even after holding that decision for three or four years, our army was so ill-prepared in launching that operation. The way the civil-military leadership tackled IDPs issue so far is literally pathetic and beyond any rationale.
Kyani's body language was not that of true Commander,he never ever appeared confident,he looked too soft & shy but this is what we get sometimes at the top when Politicians interfere in appointing the Chief.This reminds me of standards the British had for their officers which continued after Independence but gradually deteriorated over period of time. Maj Gen (Retd) Athar Abbas has correctly pointed out his inability to act when time was ripe, by just avoiding to take responsibility one fails to display his leadership quality that too at the top.
All those lashing out at kiyani should not forget the foot-dragging of PML-N, and raucous opposition of PTI and JI to this issue.
Kayani did a disservice to Pakistan. Extremism must be rooted out in its entirety whether it comes from Taliban or their tentacles or from MQM. It must be eliminated. Even if it requires to kill these extremists. They must respect Pakistan, its constitution, its laws and struggle to make it better and improve rule of law and justice. Picking up guns is no solution, it has no justification, it has no possibility of success.
in my opinion kyani should charged for murder of thousand of people because of his weak spine Pakistan has suffer tremendously ,he watched people of Pakistan got rob in may election, his brother are ripping the coutry they are all corrupt s....
@Nuur Hasan
If Kayani is vindicated, then who takes the responsibility of killing thousands soldiers & civilians ?
Gen. Keyani was a passive General. He buttered Mush to get the command. Buttering up seniors in forces is attenuating leadership abilities! Medicares are getting to top in Air Force/Navy/Army.
Its all in the name..if read in punjabi dilect... 'kaya ni'... :)
This is a retired ISPR officer opinion, presented by media as a fact because it sounds juicy. The major problem of launching an operation in NWA was not Kayani but rather the political opposition. Only PPP was okay with an operation while both PML-N and PTI were both opposed to a military operation It was more a lack of political unity then General Kayani's decision. It would have been stupid for Gen Kayani to go ahead with an operation without broad based political backing
We all know aggrement made for US/UK NRO for crimals rulers, Extention for three years for himself compromised Kayani .But Why you choose BBC as platform since its BBC involved in it. you should done this at local pakistan media.Any way waiting for what will come out of this month dramas.
Military is the last option you have to clean your country, kayani in my opinion was right never get army instead create a new force cause army can clean it up but the reprucusion of this can be fatal for the country.
@Riaz So did Ayub, Yahya, Zia and Musharah and they either surrendered or begged for ceasefire.
I think somebody needs to bring a petition in the Pakistan Supreme Court. Try Kayani in court. Many people have lost their lives because of his inaction. he should be help accountable too. No wonder in interviews whenever asked about Kayani Musharraf would always say "no comment".
@Feyyaz ...If Nawaz can label Musharraf a "traitor" why shouldn't Maj General Athar speak the truth about Kayani ???..
Gen Kayani is Brutus too Gen Musharraf and Gen Abbas is close to Musharraf , now you do the maths
Shame on Kayani for his inability to take a stand and holding the situation in doldrums. He is one of the worst Generals ever in the Pak Army!
I'm glad cowards with s@ud1 funded bank accounts don't lead our army anymore.
Gen Ashfaq Kiani was a disgrace to the Pakistan Army. He stooped very low before corrupt rulers like Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. I am positive that he received tons of money and therefore acted like their paid servant. I was surprised that he visited the house of Nawaz Sharif at Model Town at least twice and also to NS Raiwind home. He wanted to remain as COAS with PM Nawaz Sharif till the next five years, but there was immense uneasiness in the Army Generals that a revolt was imminent. It is absolutely wrong to say that America was not interested in finishing off theTaliban. It was the biggest mistake of Gen Pervaiz Musharraf to promote Kiani even to a rank of Major General because was not competent except being a YES MAN. . Going into the background od Gen Kiani, he was the son of a sepoy of the pakistan army. Gen Kiani received his education from King George Military College of Jehlum where only chidren of other ranks go. This college has produced some very bright Officers who normally retire as Brigadiers. These officers are extremely respectful to their immediate seniors.
If an impartial inquiry is done on Gen Kiani, it will be seen where he got all this wealth from. No one ever mentions that Gen Kiani comes from a marshal background like Gen Raheel Sharif. Gen Kiani never dressed himself like an officer should do. He wore a cap which is worn with your dinner jacket on ceremonial occasions. Due to his corruptness and greed, he blocked the promotion of many generals.
Why would Athar Abbas choose BBC Urdu to relay this interview? Kayani known as 'aapa' was not the right person for the job anyways, but is this interview another tactic to demean the Army....
Maj.Gen Abbas is spilling beans now , wonder if he ever was bold enough to express his views when he was in service. - Do we see a book penned by him in near future ?
General Kayani put a lot of emphasis on the individual soldier - they were given better night fighting equipment, new digital camouflage uniforms, many other procurements (like tender for new improved long range Sniper rifles for SSG special forces). List goes on. How Gen. Kayani fared on counter insurgency, let the history books decide.
I actually respect Kiyani... In my opinion the dissent created by US... First Raymond Davis, then Bin Laden and also the constant barrage of air drone strikes... Then the immense pressure by the US to force us to attack and displace hundreds of thousands of people... This isn't the first time we have launched an operation... We have been fighting them since 2004... We had Operation Rah-e-Haq, Operation Zalzala, Battle of Bajaur, Operation Sherdil, Operation Black Thunderstorm, Operation Rah-e-Nijat, Orakzai and Kurram offensive, Operation Rah-e-Shahadat and now finally Zarb-e-Azb.... So Kiyani whether he should have fought one extra battle in dire circumstances created by PPP is irrelevant... I would rather be cautiously optimistic that hopefully this would be final one. But zero credit goes to PML-N as they have politicize the situation... All the credit goes to all those fallen comrades and may peace be upon the people who died...
Keyani was a very wise man & made the right decision.
The people who know Gen Kiyani will never stop thanking him all through their lives. He served as a COAS in the most difficult time of Pakistan. If he had started the action at that time, Pakistan would be worse than Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Due to his foresight, Pakistan is not only a democratic state but also is not destroyed completely. He had so much pressure from all over including his own ranks but he did the right thing for Pakistan.
I see more than hundred comments on this news item. They are all talking about Kayani's decision to attack or not to attack Taliban. None of you realize that in democratic system civilian government makes such divisions, not the army. Do you really know what democracy means? You should all be ashamed.
Kayani's inaction was the direct consequence of the idiotic doctrine of 'Strategic Depth'. Instead of invoking the wrath of the USA and Afghanistan, had he realized that in eliminating the terrorists of all hue lied the salvation of Pakistan. Pakistan doesn't need the help of a puppet Taliban government, whom it created to keep Afghanistan at bay, a country which was hostile to us from day one of the creation of Pakistan, being a backward country was no match for Pakistan's superior armed forces and posed no threat to Pakistan, with or without the Taliban in power but the terror that was unleashed as a result of befriending the terrorists nullified any gains that could have come later in the form of a friendly government in Afghanistan.
@wisdom foolish and ridiculous statement ,what so ever by super smart wisdom
@Ali really? He must be your relative? Wake up. He was most coward general in pak army's history. He let terorist groups grow and let Zardari rob the country's wealth. Since, he couldn't make that decision to launch operation against terrorists or Zardari then he should have stepped down long ago. At least he owed it to the nation if his conscious was not sleeping?
@Last Word First, COAS appointment should be done by Full parliament not by likes of General Musharaaf, secondly, no extensions . Civilian should decide and army to execute - not army to decide . If USA or any other country recommends - why Pakistani govt . cannot decide what favors them ? Anything and everything USA recommends is bad - seems Pakistani govt unable to touch -- if it was recommended by the USA - even it favors them.. Thats why people should vote and choose right candidates - thats why merit is recommended not loyal persons - rather capable one . Now this debate should end - move on to the future and learn from the past ..
@Ayesha credit goes to General Sharif not to NS.
Why is this relevant in 2014?
When terrorists were massacring our soldiers and civilians, general kiyani was a silent spectator. He should be held responsible for the loss of thousands of lives and property worth billions of dollars.
If It is was not the weakness of Kayani, how would we know that the Aleem-e-deen are behind terrorism because they call them Shaheed. This operation should not stop after eradicating terrorists; it should go after the mullahs that initiated it.
Kiyani was far more competent, knowledgeable and sagacious than Raheel.. He was very right in his decision not to wage war unnecessarily in NW..
@Najma Why is history relevant anymore? Is it what you are trying to say?
Nothing else can explain his six years of doing nothing.
Army has been operating continuously against Terrorists. This statement is being seen in isolation. During same period, operation was carried out in South Waziristan, Orakzai, Mahmand & bajaur & not to forget Swat, Buner. So when Army faces multiple threats, operations are always phased. North being the strongest was to be under taken after clearing neighboring agencies. Army not only faced terrorists during this period, but also faced the onslaught of Media & Judiciary. Political Forces were also part of this campaign to pay back to taking over power in recent past. Please put things in correct perspective & lets all contribute to the country.
Pakistanis should thank GOD that the country was not at war with another country. Indecisiveness of the chief would have cost dearly.Raheel Sharief is decisive while his namesake heading the civilian government is not. One down and one to go. Getting there albeit slowly.
Once again,we are reminded of Madam Hillary Clinton's statement that Pakistan cannot afford to keep deadly poisonous snakes in her backyard and hope that they will bite only her neighbours.
In retrospect this decision should have been taken long ago.
@Ali Gen Raheel Brother of Maj Shabbir Shareef Shaheed
all the military officials try to get themselves clean after retirement. my utmost respect for Gen Kayani. He took the right decision by not launching the operation, whether it was due to undecisiveness or any other reason. do u people think that current operation is a total mess clean up, no never it cannot be ever, until they give up on the idea of strategic depth. so another misery for pakhtoon from current operation.
It is not fair to criticize Kiyani for not launching a war against militants in NW. That was 2010 and now it is 2014. With the passage of time, the ground realities change. Why did Nawaz Sharif wasted 6 months in just gossiping with the militants and making fool of all TV channels and the end result was to look at Raheel . Army intervened when civilians failed and rather surrendered before the militants and as such Army came to the rescue of the government before the militants declare or announce the new caliph of IP ( islamic pakistan ) just like ISIS ( present Iraq drama)
Gen Athar was spokesman of Kiyani. If he voiced in his presence we may respect him. it is culture in Pakistan that we are enjoying all benefits from our benefactors and once they quit we starts blaming upon them. If we are so bold, sincere and loyal to our country why should not speak in front of our benefactors..... hypocrisy prevail!
@Ganga Din : I agree Kiyani was a man of principal, brave and rationale. He did a great job for army, however one unfortunate incident of Abbottabad sting his career otherwise he was mature enough to take decision in the best interest of nation. He kept army away from politics even there was justification for takeover during PP govt. He also disassociated himself and Pak army from Musharraf which was great job in itself!
Kiyani was a wise General .who brought back the honour of Army.. his decision was based on the situation. Athar is making numbers to get media focus
One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. he indeed deserve our respect, He knew from the beginning military operation is not the solution. a far sighted man indeed. i guess...When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
In the recent past Kayani and Iftikhar Chaudhary because of their actions indirectly contributed in the spreading of extremism and terrorism in Pakistan. As saying goes, if you are not the part of solution then you are part of the problem.
Our country has not come in such a difficult and painful condition on its own. The powerful people in the past have their role in it.
firm decisions not visible
In a country of good governance, these decisions are only made by an elected government. An army cannot refuse and should not refuse an order from the PM
@fida sayani Sindhi
Ayub Khan too? That was the most peaceful and prosperous time in the history of Pakistan. There was no terrorism or anything like it. A lot of dignitaries from various countries visited and were able to ride open cars etc.
General Kiyani was the favorite of Ms Benazir Bhutto and was made COAS as a part of NRO deal authored by David Millyband, former UK Foreign Secretary and implemented by the US. Musharraf had no choice but to elevate him to the top slot.
Athar Abbas please don't politicize the things. Most of us know why the ex Chief was reluctant.
i bet 'no' was not a word in dictionary of gen athar abbas when he was in service. even when gen kayani, as per his purporting, bickered about operation, this general would have said nothing but "yes, sir; u r right sir, sure sir, excellent idea sir"
Gen Kayani was a lion and ever ready to operate against Swatis and Mehsuds but all his courage deserted him when he had to face Waziris. Gen Raheel Sharif on the other hand is a genuine lion and is not afraid of any tribe.
der aya durst aya!
@Hassan Even the present war is an eyewash, the good talibans are sent into safe heavens , to be used later. This is old Pakistani trick.
@Riaz you forgot creating and sustaining terrorists too...all muchhads (remember Zia) have shown tendency to wheel and deal and pal around with terrorists
LOL. The reluctant generals and reluctant leaders are useless to the security and prosperity of the country, in fact to any country.
Raheel Shareef is real hero... hats off to him ...
@GA He was chosen as part of a deal between PM and BB, because Kayani was the military secretary of BB once upon a time
I just want to laugh. This man is bad mouthing his boss. What was his job? The media. Not the war. Of course, army also has doctors and nurses and even cooks. This guy also retired as a Maj General, or just barely a General in a non-combat trade. It is like cook opines on how the bullet should have been shot.
@Ali Really ? How ?
There is no need for giving interviews to any foreign news agencies. This adds more controversies and the nation gets more depressed. There must be genuine reasons for not going for operation at that time.
@Ali No he was not!!!!
@ejaz It is amazing that Army do not select a smart General as its spokesman are you from Army or you just want to defame it
@Mujtaba You missed out Iftikhar Chaudhry .
This General's comments itself negate his own credibility. Kayani was honorable and brave soldier like Musharraf. I am wondering who is pulling his strings.
Does he not know the protocol and how to safeguard the interest of Pakistan. People like him bring bad name to the country and the whole nation suffers.
@msa What makes you think we have democracy in Pakistan?NS has none in his own party...so how can he be called a democratic leader?
He was always a reluctant fundamentalist.