Pakistan Army Chief, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, has ordered the military to end its involvement in the country's politics, a demand voiced by opposition leaders of the Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), media reported on Monday.
According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, Gen Kayani's decree, issued on the eve of Pakistan's parliamentary election, reverses President Pervez Musharraf's policy of involving the military in politics and removes a key pillar of support from him.
Quoting a senior military source, the report said 'the move includes plans to overhaul the role of the military intelligence agencies in national politics', paving the way for a withdrawal of political support for the President.
The source claimed that one of Musharraf's close allies, who is the head of one of the military intelligence agencies, would be removed from his post after the election.
Gen Kayani has recalled hundreds of army personnel from posts in civilian institutions - civilian officials have long complained about military officers taking up senior posts in the civil service, universities and ministry.
The move is seen as part of efforts initiated by Kayani to distance the army from the political establishment.Pakistanis won't accept a new General
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Coverage: Pakistan Votes