The Pakistani military is close to an agreement with the government in which the prime minister would relinquish control of security affairs and strategic foreign policy, government officials said, amid antigovernment protests that have paralyzed the capital. A nearly two-week confrontation between the administration and demonstrators, which the government believes are backed by the military, has put Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif under pressure. The armed forces have run Pakistan for half its 67-year history, including a 1999 coup led by then-army chief Pervez Musharraf, which ended Mr. Sharifs last stint as prime minister. Even when not formally in power, the military has traditionally run foreign and internal security policies. Government aides said the military has extracted a promise of freedom for Mr. Musharraf, who is being prosecuted by Mr. Sharifs government for treason. That charge, related to Mr. Musharrafs military rule following the 1999 coup, is another major source of tension between the administration and the armed forces. Mr. Musharraf denies the treason charge.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 16:36:27 +0000