Pakistan’s former army chief and president General (Retd) Parvez Musharraf did not inform top army commanders about his ‘secret understanding’ with US to support the invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11, a retired Pakistan army official has claimed.
Islamabad, Feb 5/Nationalturk – A retired Pakistan army official Lt Gen (Retd) Shahiz Aziz has accused country’s former army chief and president General (Retd) Parvez Musharraf of not informing top army commanders about his ‘secret understanding’ with United States to support the invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11.
“After 9/11, the then Pakistan Army chief and president General Parvez Musharraf held extensive and intense discussions with army’s corps commanders to discuss Pakistan’s response to America’s demands of supporting the Afghan war. Some of the corps commanders including General Aziz Ahmed Khan and General Jamshed Gulzar Kayani opposed the idea of ditching the Taliban,” Shahid told Pakistani newspaper, Express Tribune.
Lt Gen (Retd) Shahid, who was holding the key post of Chief of General Staff (CGS) at the General Headquarters at the time of US military offensive against the Afghan Taliban, said majority of army commanders were of the view that Pakistan should not side with the US in its efforts to invade Afghanistan.
‘Neither support US nor Taliban’
“Following the discussions, Musharraf assured the army commanders that Pakistan would neither support the US nor the Taliban. He said Pakistan will remain neutral.
However, a few months later, it emerged that contrary to the decision, Musharraf had already struck a deal with US,” he said.
He said he came to know through sources that Pakistan air force bases at Jacobabad and Pasni were being used by Americans for military operation in Afghanistan.
“It was a shocking revelation that Musharraf had not only permitted US forces to use the Pakistan’s airspace but also its airbases. I took up this issue with him (Gen Musharraf) but he said he knew what was in Pakistan’s best interest,” Shahid said.
When asked why CGS, who is considered second-in-command of Pakistan Army, remained clueless of the important decision, the retired army officer said, “General Musharraf only shared information on a need to know basis.”
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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News
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Pak Army has both intentionally and unintentionally given Pakistan irreparable losses by taking extremely unpopular decisions and secondly by interrupting the political set ups and overthrowing them unnecessarily on a wrong pretext of ‘in Pakistan’ interest’. How come one head is any way better than a few hundreds. Army has inflicted more harm than good to our country. They had better remain in barracks and on borders saving the country’s borders and any of their future interruption could usher into civil war.