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All 3 Service chiefs ask for more say in security decisions, MoD

angeldemon_007

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Pitching strongly for a greater say for the armed forces in national security decisions, the three service chiefs have separately told the high-level task force on national security that they would like military officers with domain knowledge to be posted as joint secretaries and directors in the defence ministry.

The chiefs have also demanded the creation of separate departments of army, navy and air force in the ministry for greater clarity in the rules of business, it is learnt. As of now, the four departments under the ministry are defence, defence production, defence research and ex-servicemen welfare.

Also, under the current rules, the defence secretary’s office is responsible for the defence of India — not the armed forces. The chiefs, who made separate presentations before the task force headed by former cabinet secretary Naresh Chandra, asked for the rules to be changed. They also said that the government should move forward on creating the office of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) only after its specific role has been decided.

The renewed pitch for “genuine integration” before the task force flows from a letter that Air Chief Marshal P V Naik had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before his retirement in July.

Writing in his capacity as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Air Chief Marshal Naik had told the PM that the armed forces did not feel part of the decision-making process. He had pointed out that the three services had been reduced to merely sending proposals to the defence ministry, where a fresh file would be created after discussions among bureaucrats. The file would rarely return to the armed forces for comments or inputs.

Ultimately, the inputs that reached the defence minister and the political leadership did not reflect the views of the services or the service chiefs, Naik had said, according to sources.

Taking the argument further, the service chiefs have said that certain offices, like the one dealing with international military cooperation, must be handled by military officers. The proposal for a military hospital in Tajikistan continues to be caught in red tape because, sources said, the ministry bureaucracy is demanding “financial justifications” for what is a strategic move cleared by the national security adviser.

Similarly, sources said, the proposal for the second phase of military expansion along the China border had been stuck at the defence ministry for a year until the army conveyed it directly to the PM during a routine security presentation.

The chiefs also feel that departments like ex-servicemen welfare would be better served by military officers than by bureaucrats who have little experience of dealing with soldiers, the sources said.

The services have taken the view that having military officers in the bureaucracy would have a positive impact on the armed forces, and expose their officials to other views and compulsions within the government.

These suggestions, sources said, are in line with the Kargil Review Committee’s recommendations for greater integration of the armed forces with the defence ministry and the overall decision-making process. While technically the nomenclature for the defence ministry was changed to Integrated Headquarters of Defence, the armed forces feel that on the ground, not much has changed.

In his letter, Naik had asked the PM to implement the Kargil Review Committee report in its entire spirit, and allow military officers to take up positions in the defence ministry so that military viewpoints are available, especially on technical issues.

All 3 Service chiefs ask for more say in security decisions, MoD - Indian Express
 
All is not well? Pakistan service chiefs skip Zardari banquet

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top four military officials, including powerful army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, were absent from a state banquet hosted by president Asif Ali Zardari, triggering speculation about unease in ties between the government and the military.

The three service chiefs and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee were not among the guests at the reception and banquet hosted by Zardari for his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov at the presidency on Monday.

One channel quoted sources as saying that an inquiry had been ordered to ascertain why the service chiefs did not attend the event hosted by Zardari.

In a brief statement, the Inter-Services public relations said, "They did not attend because they were not invited to attend."

However, officials pointed out that joint chiefs of staff committee chairman and the air force currently in the United Arab Emirates to attend the Dubai Air Show.

---------- Post added at 03:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:08 PM ----------

Service chiefs stay away from Presidency for a reason


ISLAMABAD: The chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the three services chiefs did not attend the reception and banquet President Asif Ali Zardari hosted in honour of Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov on Monday at the Presidency.

A private TV channel flashed the news, which created a stir in the country with people in the federal capital drawing divergent conclusions on the absence of services chiefs at the presidential banquet. The same channel also flashed that an inquiry had been ordered as to why the services chiefs did not turn up at the reception and banquet hosted by the president in honour of the visiting dignitary.

“They did not attend because they were not invited to attend,” said an official statement of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR was responding to a volley of questions on the somewhat important development, which created ripples all over the country.

Some officials say that JCSC Chairman General Khalid Shameem Wynne and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman were not in the country and were visiting Dubai in connection with an air show. Their non-attendance was but obvious because of their visits abroad.

Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, though in Rawalpindi, did not turn up, while military sources confirmed that he was not invited to attend the banquet as he was not in the country at the time the invitations were sent. Sources in the Presidency also said that the army chief was not invited because he was out of the country at the time the invitation to attend the banquet was extended.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Asif Sandila also remained absent from the presidential banquet, though he was in the country and was in Lahore on Monday. A reliable source told The News that protocol officials of the Presidency conveyed to the naval chief that in the absence of other chiefs he should not turn up at the banquet.

Interestingly, Defence Minister Ch Ahmed Mukhtar was also not present at the banquet for unknown reasons. Normally, at all such presidential banquets held in the past, all the services chiefs and chairman JCSC were not only invited but the Presidency made it a point to ensure their attendance at such banquets hosted by the president who is constitutional supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Cynics draw their own conclusions with a “doomsday scenario” for the present rulers because of their unconfirmed tiff with powerful institutions, while saner elements say that some people are trying to “make an issue out of nothing.”

A similar situation took place in early 1999 on the visit of Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee when no services chief lined up to welcome the Indian premier despite then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s directives that they make an appearance at the time of arrival of Indian premier at Wagha.

Though the government of Nawaz Sharif got angry and fumed over the news item that appeared in The News at the time, the later events proved that Sharif was given cold shoulder and was snubbed by the services chiefs. Ultimately, the then Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf dismissed the Nawaz government on October 12, 1999.
 
All is not well? Pakistan service chiefs skip Zardari banquet

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's top four military officials, including powerful army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, were absent from a state banquet hosted by president Asif Ali Zardari, triggering speculation about unease in ties between the government and the military.

The three service chiefs and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee were not among the guests at the reception and banquet hosted by Zardari for his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov at the presidency on Monday.

One channel quoted sources as saying that an inquiry had been ordered to ascertain why the service chiefs did not attend the event hosted by Zardari.

In a brief statement, the Inter-Services public relations said, "They did not attend because they were not invited to attend."

However, officials pointed out that joint chiefs of staff committee chairman and the air force currently in the United Arab Emirates to attend the Dubai Air Show.

---------- Post added at 03:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:08 PM ----------

Service chiefs stay away from Presidency for a reason


ISLAMABAD: The chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the three services chiefs did not attend the reception and banquet President Asif Ali Zardari hosted in honour of Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov on Monday at the Presidency.

A private TV channel flashed the news, which created a stir in the country with people in the federal capital drawing divergent conclusions on the absence of services chiefs at the presidential banquet. The same channel also flashed that an inquiry had been ordered as to why the services chiefs did not turn up at the reception and banquet hosted by the president in honour of the visiting dignitary.

“They did not attend because they were not invited to attend,” said an official statement of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR was responding to a volley of questions on the somewhat important development, which created ripples all over the country.

Some officials say that JCSC Chairman General Khalid Shameem Wynne and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman were not in the country and were visiting Dubai in connection with an air show. Their non-attendance was but obvious because of their visits abroad.

Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, though in Rawalpindi, did not turn up, while military sources confirmed that he was not invited to attend the banquet as he was not in the country at the time the invitations were sent. Sources in the Presidency also said that the army chief was not invited because he was out of the country at the time the invitation to attend the banquet was extended.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Asif Sandila also remained absent from the presidential banquet, though he was in the country and was in Lahore on Monday. A reliable source told The News that protocol officials of the Presidency conveyed to the naval chief that in the absence of other chiefs he should not turn up at the banquet.

Interestingly, Defence Minister Ch Ahmed Mukhtar was also not present at the banquet for unknown reasons. Normally, at all such presidential banquets held in the past, all the services chiefs and chairman JCSC were not only invited but the Presidency made it a point to ensure their attendance at such banquets hosted by the president who is constitutional supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Cynics draw their own conclusions with a “doomsday scenario” for the present rulers because of their unconfirmed tiff with powerful institutions, while saner elements say that some people are trying to “make an issue out of nothing.”

A similar situation took place in early 1999 on the visit of Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee when no services chief lined up to welcome the Indian premier despite then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s directives that they make an appearance at the time of arrival of Indian premier at Wagha.

Though the government of Nawaz Sharif got angry and fumed over the news item that appeared in The News at the time, the later events proved that Sharif was given cold shoulder and was snubbed by the services chiefs. Ultimately, the then Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf dismissed the Nawaz government on October 12, 1999.

Jana tha japan pahuch gaye cheen ? :rofl:
 

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