RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s military chief has said that the Army would support any political steps allowed under the Constitution to resolve the problems of insurgency-hit Balochistan province.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani said this Wednesday in a policy statement on Balochistan made before his departure to Moscow on a four-day official visit.The Army chief said that support would be extended to a political solution to the Balochistan problem, provided that the solution is according to the Constitution of Pakistan. Kayani said that any step taken which goes against the Constitution will be unacceptable.
“The Army fully supports any political process, as long as it is within the constitution of Pakistan”, said the statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Army’s media wing.
Visit to Russia
During his visit to Russia, the Army chief will have several high-level engagements with the Russian political leadership in addition to dialogue with his counterpart on expanding relations between the two militaries.
Kayani’s visit follows the cancellation of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to Islamabad, scheduled for Oct 2-3, and coincides with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov’s two-day visit to Islamabad (Oct 3-4) on the invitation of Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. Mr Lavrov is scheduled to call on President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, besides holding bilateral consultations. – Dawn
