Crisis escalates in Pak: PM sacks defence secretary

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Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani today sacked defence secretary Lt Gen (retired) Khalid Naeem Lodhi, considered close to the army chief, marking an escalation in the row between the civilian government and the military over the memogate scandal.

The row centres on an ongoing Supreme Court inquiry set up to investigate a controversial unsigned memo allegedly delivered to the US military seeking its help in curbing the power of Pakistan's armed forces in May.

The government terminated the contract of Lodhi with immediate effect for 'gross misconduct and illegal action' said a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office.

Action was taken against Lodhi 'for creating misunderstanding between the state institutions', the statement said.

Cabinet secretary Nargis Sethi was given additional charge of the post of defence secretary, the statement said.

The government had recently served a show cause notice to Lodhi after he filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court that contended the civilian administration had no control over the operational matters of the army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

He further stated in the affidavit that the government had only limited administrative control of the army and ISI.

Lodhi's affidavit angered Prime Minister Gilani, who reacted by saying it was unacceptable for the army to act as a 'state within a state'.

Lodhi's sacking was announced shortly after the army reacted angrily to Gilani's remarks in an interview on Monday that the army and ISI chiefs had acted in an 'unconstitutional and illegal' manner in the handling of the Memogate scandal.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the army vociferously denied Gilani's accusation, saying it had passed its response through the defence ministry to the court in accordance with the law.

"There can be no allegation more serious than what the honourable prime minister has levelled against COAS (army chief General Ashfaq Kayani) and DG ISI (spy chief Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha) and has unfortunately charged the officers for violation of the constitution of the country," said the army's statement.

"This has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country."