Pak looking to extend army chief Kayani's tenure

The Pakistani administration is considering creating a new post to ensure that army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will continue to play a crucial role in the military establishment in Pakistan.

The Obama administration regards Kayani as a key ally in the war against terror. As army chief, Kayani also has de-facto control of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. Pakistan's defence minister Chauhdary Ahmed Mukhtar has said that Kayani was not being considered for an extension, the Financial Times reported.

Kayani could be made the chief of defence staff or could be appointed to the joint chiefs of staff committee. The Pakistan cabinet is curretly exploring ways of giving Kayani direct oversight over the army, navy and air force.

Experts believe that extending Kayani's tenure will create dissatisfaction among the officers who are awaiting a turnover at the upper levels of the Pak army. The extension will also hurt the army's efforts of institution building. Kayani took over as army chief after Pervez Musharraf stepped down in 2007.Kayani previously headed the Inter-Services-Intelligence, Pakistan's spy agency. Pakistan has been under military rule for more than half its existence, since independence. The military is widely regarded as the only working organisation in the country and plays a crucial role in formulating Pakistan's foreign policy.

Kayani's possible sucessors include Lieutenant General Khaleed Wyne who is the Pakistan army's current chief of general staff.

In Pakistan, Kayani has been credited with reducing the army's visible role in politics.He also led the Pakistani army's campaign against the Taliban in Swat and in South Waziristan.

Image: General Asfaq Kayani | Photograph: Faisal Mahmood/Reuters