Ashfaq Parvez Kayani

Infobox Military Person
name= Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
lived= born April 1952 (age 56)
placeofbirth= Gujar Khan Tehsil, Rawalpindi District, Punjab
placeofdeath=


caption=
nickname= Kayani
allegiance= flagicon|PAK Pakistan
branch=Pakistan Army
serviceyears= 1971–
rank= General
current position= Chief of Army Staff
commands= 12th Infantry Division (Murree)
DG Military Operations (DGMO)
X Corps (Rawalpindi)
DG Inter-Services Intelligence
Vice Chief of Army Staff
Chief of Army Staff
unit= Infantry (Baloch Regiment)
battles=Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
2001-2002 India-Pakistan standoff
War in North-West Pakistan
awards=Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)
Nishan-e-Imtiaz
Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)
laterwork=
General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani (Urdu: اشفاق پرویز کیانی ) (born April 1952, Gujar Khan, Punjab) is a Pakistani general and the current Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army. Kayani replaced Pervez Musharraf as the leader of the army on November 28, 2007. Kayani is the former director of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, and Director General of Military Operations.

Personal

Kayani belongs to Gujar Khan, a suburb of Rawalpindi, known to produce Pakistan Army generals. He grew up in a working-class family, son of a junior officer, Lehrasab Khan. He is described as a soft-spoken intellectual who is apolitical, and disciplined.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7024719.stm | title=BBC profile of Gen Ashfaq Kiani | accessdate=2007-11-28|] A chain smoker as well as a keen golfer,cite web|url=http://www.pakintel.com/2007/09/23/kayanis-next-role-and-renewed-negotiations | title=Kayani's Next Role and Renewed Negotiations | accessdate=2007-09-23|] he is currently president of the Pakistan Golf Association. Kayani is married and has two children, a son and a daughter. [ [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=20071129story_29-11-2007_pg7_12 Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan ] ]

Army career

Kayani is a graduate of Military College Jhelum (MCJ) and the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul and was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in 29 August, 1971 as part of 45th PMA Long Course [ [http://www.karachipage.com/news/Nov_07/112807.html "Gen Kayani’s rise from humble beginnings"] " Karachi Page", November 2007] in the Infantry's Baloch Regiment as an infantryman. He is a graduate of the Command and Staff College, Quetta; the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and the National Defence College, Islamabad, where he holds a masters degree in War Studies. During his career in the army, he has commanded an Infantry Battalion, an Infantry Brigade, an Infantry Division and the prestigious Rawalpindi Corps.cite web| url=http://www.ispr.gov.pk/Archive&Press/CurrentMonth/2-Oct-2007.htm | title= New VCOAS and CJCSC | accessdate=2007-10-02| ]

Benazir's Secretary and DGMO

Kayani rose to eventually serve Benazir Bhutto as her deputy military secretary during her first stint as prime minister in 1988-1990. He also served as the General Officer Commander (GOC) 12th Infantry Division stationed in Murree, deployed all over the Line of Control and which comes under the X Corps (Rawalpindi).

Kayani's career progressed and he went on to serve as Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) from December 2000 to September 2003. It was during his tenure as DGMO that the intense military standoff of 2001-2002 between Pakistan and India took place. Reportedly, Kayani only slept a few hours a night during that period as he diligently oversaw the army’s mobilization and preparedness on the border.cite web|url=http://www.pakintel.com/2007/09/23/kayanis-next-role-and-renewed-negotiations | title=Kayani's Next Role and Renewed Negotiations | accessdate=2007-09-23|]

Corps Commander Rawalpindi

Kayani was promoted as Lieutenant General in September 2003, and was trusted with the command of the X Corps in Rawalpindi, in place of Lt. Gen. Syed Arif Hassan. The promotion indicated Musharraf's significant trust in Kayani, since an army chief cannot build an army coup without the help of the X Corps commander, with Rawalpindi being the twin city of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. Kayani led the corps until October 2004, when he was transferred to the ISI as its chief, being replaced by Lt. Gen. Salahuddin Satti.

During Kayani's tenure at the X Corps, he led the successful investigation of the two back-to-back suicide attacks against Musharraf in December 2003. It is believed that Kayani won the trust of Musharraf after the investigation, and a prelude to Kayani's promotion to the sensitive position of ISI chief.cite web| url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21036547/site/newsweek/ | title= The Next Musharraf by Ron Moreau and Zahid Hussain | accessdate=2007-10-02| ]

Inter-Services Intelligence

In October 2004, Ashfaq Kayani was made the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence, in place of General Ehsan ul Haq, who proceeded to the chairmanship of Joint Chiefs of Staff as a four-star general. Kayani led the ISI during a bleak period, with insurgencies in Waziristan and Balochistan, AQ Khan's nuclear proliferation scandal, and waves of suicide attacks throughout Pakistan emanating from the northwestern tribal belt. In his final days at the ISI, he also led the talks with Benazir Bhutto for a possible power sharing deal with Musharraf. In October 2007, after three years, he was replaced at the ISI by Lt. Gen. Nadeem Taj, another Musharraf loyalist. [cite web| url= http://www.dawn.com/weekly/ayaz/20060112.htm | title= Is change in the air? | accessdate=2007-04-17| first=Ayaz| last=Amir]

Chief of Army Staff

In October 2007, Kayani was promoted as a full general, and made the Vice Chief of Army Staff. He took over as the new army chief of Pakistan Army after Musharraf's retirement on November 28, 2007. [cite web| url= http://www.geo.tv|title=Gen. Kayani takes Pak Army command | accessdate=2007-11-28] The ceremony was held at the sports stadium near Army headquarters, Rawalpindi. Kayani is the first officer in the history of Pakistan who held the position of DG ISI and then went on to become the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army (COAS). The last time a Director General of the ISI was to be made army chief in 1999, the Army staged a bloodless coup to reinstate the proposed outgoing Chief of Army Staff, General Pervez Musharraf.

Withdrawal of military from civilian government

In January 2008 General Kayani passed a directive which ordered military officers not to maintain contacts with politicians.

On 13th February 2008 it was made public that General Kayani ordered the withdrawal of military officers from all of Pakistan's government civil departments. It was an action that reversed the policies of his predecessor, President Musharraf. It was welcomed by President Musharraf’s critics, who have long demanded that the military distance itself from politics. The Pakistani media reported that the army officers would be withdrawn from 23 wide-ranging civil departments, including the National Highway Authority, National Accountability Bureau, Ministry of Education, and Water and Power Development Authority.

A comment from Major General Athar Abbas who is a spokesman for the Pakistan Army mentioned in an interview on the same day that General Kayani’s decision to recall military officers from civil departments was taken the previous week and that the process would take between 2 to 6 months to complete. [cite web| url= http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/13/world/asia/13pstan.html?ref=world | title= New Pakistan Army Chief Orders Military Out of Civilian Government Agencies, Reversing Musharraf Policy | accessdate=2008-02-12|] [cite web| url= http://news.monstersandcritics.com/southasia/news/article_1390892.php/Pakistan_military_withdraws_officers_from_civilian_duties | title= Pakistan military withdraws officers from civilian duties | accessdate=2008-02-12|]

Pakistan General Elections 2008

On 7th March 2008 General Kayani confirmed that Pakistan's armed forces will stay out of politics and support the new government. General Kayani told a gathering of military commanders in the garrison city of Rawalpindi that "The army fully stands behind the democratic process and is committed to playing its constitutional role." The comments made were after the results of the Pakistani general election, 2008 where the Pakistan Peoples Party won the election and began forming a coalition government who were opposed to General Pervez Musharraf. [ [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aEuCmvHqeP9c&refer=india Bloomberg.com: India & Pakistan ] ]

Replies to American Admiral Michael Mullen

The COAS, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country will be defended at all cost and no external force is allowed to conduct operations inside Pakistan. He was commenting on the recent incident where innocent civilians were killed in a cross-border raid by the Coalition Forces. He said that the rules of engagement with the Coalition Forces are well defined and within that, the right to conduct operations against the militants inside own territory is solely the responsibility of the respective armed forces. There is no question of any agreement or understanding with the Coalition Forces whereby they are allowed to conduct operations on our side of the border. Referring to his meeting with United States senior officers on USS Abraham Lincoln on 27th August, he said that they were informed about the complexity of the issue that requires understanding in depth and more patience for evolving comprehensive solution. He said that own viewpoint was elaborated in detail and it was stressed that in such like situations, military action alone cannot solve the problem. Political reconciliatory effort was required to go along with the military prong to win hearts and minds of the people. During the discussion, the imperative of public support at large for the military operations also came under focus. Later, United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen acknowledged the better understanding of ground realities by the COAS, and remarked, “he (the COAS) is committed to doing what is best for Pakistan and he is going to stay the same”. He reiterated that ultimately it is our national interest which would always guide our policy. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani also regretted the killing of innocent civilians in the incident of Angoor Adda on 4th September. He said that such like reckless actions only help the militants and further fuel the militancy in the area. He said that Pakistan Army has conducted successful operations against the militants in the past and at present is committed to eliminate them from the affected areas of FATA and Swat. He said that our Security Forces have given huge sacrifices in this war and it is the presence of the Army which has denied the freedom of movement and operation to Al Qaeda and the affiliates. He said that it is support of the people of Pakistan which would be decisive. The COAS reiterated the need for a collaborative approach for better understanding of a highly complex issue. He said that trust-deficit and misunderstandings can lead to more complications and increase the difficulties for all. The constraints of operating in these areas must never be lost sight of. He re-emphasized that there are no quick fixes in this war. Falling for short term gains while ignoring our long term interest is not the right way forward. To succeed, the Coalition would be required to display strategic patience and help the other side the way they want it rather than adopting a unilateral approach which may be counter productive. He said that it is the multi prong approach, fully supported by the people of Pakistan which will help us defeat the threat of internal terrorism.

References

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