Pakistan’s top judge plays down coup talk
Pakistan’s top judge moved on Friday to allay fears of a possible military coup as tensions rose between the civilian government and the country’s powerful generals over a controversial memo alleging an army plot to seize power.
“There is no question of a takeover. Gone are the days when people used to get validation for unconstitutional steps from the courts,” Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry said on Friday.
The Supreme Court is looking into a petition demanding an inquiry into the matter and Chaudhry’s warning came during those proceedings.
Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani has called for an investigation into who may have been behind the memo that could further undermine deeply unpopular President Asif Ali Zardari.
Newspaper editorials highlighted unease in the nuclear-armed South Asian nation, predicting a showdown between Zardari and his allies and the military, which is so influential it has been described as a state within a state.
“A specter is haunting Pakistan — the specter of a clash between the army and the government that threatens to turn fatal,” said an editorial in the News.