Pakistani military warns of "grievous consequences" over criticism

Jan 11, 2012, 12:57 GMT

Islamabad - Pakistan's powerful military on Wednesday warned the civilian government of grave consequences after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani accused the army chief of violating the constitution.

'This has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences,' military chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said in response to Gilani's comments. Earlier this week, Gilani told the Chinese People's Daily that Kayani and his spy chief Lieutenant General Ahmad Shujaa Pasha had acted unconstitutionally when they submitted replies to a supreme court inquiry that has shaken the government.

'There can be no allegation more serious than what the Honourable Prime Minister has levelled against the army chief and director general ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence),' Kayani was cited as saying in the army statement.

The statement has worsened an already tense relationship between the civilian government and the army in a country that has a history of military coups.

Within an hour of the issuing of the army statement, Gilani fired Khalid Naeem Lodhi, the top official in the Defence Ministry, who is also a retired general known to be a confidant of Kayani.

Various scandals have already weakened Gilani's government while several graft cases have been reopened against President Asif Ali Zardari.