PNS Mehran Base Commander Commodore Raja Tahir has been removed from his post after being suspended, and Commodore Khalid Pervez has been appointed new base commander, a private TV channel reported on Wednesday. That's certainly something new...
According to the defence sources, Commodore Tahir would remain suspended till the completion of the inquiry into the gun, grenade and rocket assault that took place at the base late on Sunday and continued until midday Monday. Four navy personnel, currently being held in Adiala Jail, were also questioned during preliminary investigations. All four officials, none of whom had ever been posted at PNS Mehran, have been court-martialed.
Just walked through the gate in uniform and started shooting the place up, huh?
Although a navy front man insisted the transfer was pre-planned and unconnected to the terrorist attack at the base, Pakistain's military is under increasing domestic pressure to be held accountable over security lapses. "Commodore Khalid Pervez is taking over as the base commander and his predecessor Raja Tahir will be assigned new responsibilities," Commander Salman Ali, a navy front man, told AFP. He did not say what new job the outgoing commander will hold. "It is a routine and scheduled transfer. The base commander was scheduled to be replaced, even if there was no attack on the facility," he said.