General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani ends his tenure on November 29, 2013, after six years of serving as head of the powerful military. Kayani, known as the ‘quiet general of Pakistani politics,’ was lauded for supporting the civilian government and for his non-interference in the recent democratic transition, especially in a coup-prone nation like Pakistan.
In a speech just before the May elections, he had said a bad democracy was better than the best kind of dictatorship. However, with incidents such as the Abbottabad raid in May 2011, the ‘memo-gate’ saga, the Salala attack, among others taking place under his tenure, speculations were rife that the country came close to living up to its legacy of military rule.
For Herald’s upcoming issue, a number of writers, commentators and intellectuals are being asked:
“In General Kayani's six year tenure as the Chief of Army Staff, was there ever a point at which he could have considered staging a coup?”
Dawn.com invites its readers to answer the question above. Selected comments will be published in the upcoming issue of the Herald.
