Pakistan's army chief, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, may have missed a historic opportunity to act and this may see him end up as a mere footnote in the country's turbulent history. Had he decided to stage a coup in the wake of the just-concluded lawyers' agitation for reinstating the judges sacked in 2007, he would have become the first Pakistani general in this millennium to do so.
The other reason why General Kayani may end up as a footnote in Pakistan's history is the fact that no one remembers mere generals. They are feared as long as they are in power. But once out of office they wither fast, like an autumn leaf, out of people's memory.
Text: Rajiv Dogra/ IANS
Image: In this photo released by Pakistan Press Information Department, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari meets Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani to discuss political turmoil in Pakistan on Friday, March 13, 2009 in Islamabad. (Copyright AP. Any unauthorised reproduction is prohibited.)
