Did US commander dismisses fears of Pakistan military coup?
Islamabad – US General David Petraeus dismissed fears that the Pakistani military might stage a coup amid brewing political turmoil, media reports said Tuesday. “Whenever we have talked to them, they say they are committed to democratically elected civilian government,” Petraeus was cited as saying by the English-language The News daily. The chief of the US Central Command, whose area of responsibility extends over Central Asia and the Middle East, made the remarks to a select group of reporters in Islamabad Monday after briefing Pakistani political and military leaders about Washington’s new Afghan strategy. Patraeus said he did not believe the army had any desire to destabilize the civilian set-up. The current government, formed in 2008 after nine years of rule by former military strongman Pervez Musharraf, is under fire for alleged corruption and bad governance. President Asif Ali Zardari, who heads the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, and several of his key allies also face an uncer
