TORONTO, 9 October 2006 — Retired Gen. Jehangir Karamat, the former Pakistan Army chief, said there was no truth in reports that he would be leading a caretaker government in his country.
Describing the reports as rumors, he said, “I have no experience of that kind of a job. I don’t think I would be able to do the job even if I am asked to do so. And certainly I have no interest in it.”
He declined to comment on President Pervez Musharraf’s claim that he (Musharraf) was thoroughly disappointed when Karamat, as the chief of the army staff, had picked a “mediocre” officer as chief of the general staff. “I would not make any comment because I have not read the book (In the Line of Fire),” said Karamat when his attention was drawn to the appointment of Ali Kuli Khan as CGS, who, according to President Musharraf, was a “mediocre officer.”
On Page 79 of his 354-page book, Musharraf wrote, “In 1997, when Gen. Jehangir Karamat was the army chief, a new chief of general staff was to be selected. Most army officers felt that I would — or should — get the job. I knew that Gen. Jehangir Karamat regarded me very highly as a commander and as a staff officer. He had been my instructor in the war course, my corps commander when I was commanding a division, and my boss as the chief of general staff. “He had always given me high grades. Yet instead of me, he selected Lt. Gen. Ali Kuli Khan Khattak, who I felt was a mediocre officer. I must confess I was quite surprised and disappointed.”
“I have not read the book. I’m going to read it and I don’t want to comment on it till I have read it,” said Karamat speaking to Arab News during the Canada Pakistan Business Council (CPBC) dinner where he was a keynote speaker on Friday night.
The dinner was attended among others by Ontario Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Mike Colle, Pakistan’s outgoing High Commissioner Shahid Malik and Pakistan’s Consul General Ghalib Iqbal.
Gen. Karamat, who is currently here on a private visit, told the gathering at the CPBC function that Pakistan is trying to overcome difficulties and problems of a serious nature because of its geo-political condition. Karamat also spoke about Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan and India.
He said Kabul and Islamabad were cooperating with each other to bring peace in the area, especially in the troubled southern region of Afghanistan. He pointed out that India and Pakistan were moving on a positive track despite hiccups due to Bombay bomb blasts.
However, Karamat, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US, said there are outstanding issues which need to be resolved.
