Pakistan military warns prime minister

An increasingly public battle between the military and the civilian government escalated yesterday, as the army warned that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's recent criticism of its chief could have "grievous consequences" and Gilani fired his defense secretary.

The developments sent Pakistan's crisis-prone politics into a new tailspin, hardening a standoff that some analysts say could bring down the unpopular government.

The turmoil appears likely to distract from efforts to repair frayed relations between the United States and Pakistan, complicating U.S. hopes of securing Pakistani support as it withdraws from neighboring Afghanistan.

The civilian-military tensions center on an unsigned memo delivered to the Pentagon last May, requesting help in halting a potential military coup and curbing the army's power. The memo infuriated the army, and the Supreme Court is investigating its origin and whether it was approved by President Asif Ali Zardari. The government has denied involvement.

The elected government, with Gilani in the lead, has repeatedly lashed out at the army, which is viewed as Pakistan's most potent force. Last month, Gilani denounced what he called a "state within a state" and suggested that a military coup plot was in the works.

Two days ago, Gilani told a Chinese newspaper that army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani and Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the head of Pakistan's top spy agency, had acted illegally and violated the constitution by submitting affidavits about the memo case to the court.

Yesterday, Gilani fired his defense secretary, retired Lt. Gen. Naeem Khalid Lodhi, accusing him of "gross misconduct and illegal action" and of "creating misunderstanding between the state institutions" by not following government procedures for submitting the Kayani and Pasha affidavits.

Lodhi, considered close to the army, embarrassed Gilani last month by submitting a statement to the Supreme Court saying the government had no "operational control" over the army or intelligence services.

Hours earlier, the army had issued a statement denying that the affidavits filed by Kayani and Pasha were improper, noting that they were submitted through government channels. Gilani's accusation "has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country," the statement said, without elaborating.