Rob Griffith / AP Photo
Tensions between Pakistan’s civilian government and its military escalated today when Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sacked the country's defense secretary. Gilani said in a statement that Lt. Gen. Naeem Khalid Lodhi was fired for “gross misconduct and illegal action which created misunderstanding” between state institutions. The current fight between the civilian government and the military was sparked by the release of an unsigned memo seeking help from the U.S. in stopping a military coup. When President Asif Ali Zardari flew to Dubai for medical treatment last month, there were rumors he had fled out of fear of a coup. When Gilani criticized the Army chief and head of intelligence earlier this week, the Army warned of “potentially grievous consequences for the country.”