Arms and the Men

Kayani's rise in the Pakistani scheme of things is not out of place. Islamabad has always had a line of powerful army chief with their clearly defined agendas.
AYUB KHAN
(May 14, 1907 – April 19, 1974) Deposed Iskandar Mirza in 1958 to become Pak's first military dictator. He was a Pashtun, the only Pak ruler from NWFP. He made Pak join the global US alliance against USSR, to give the country its foreign policy orientation.
YAHYA KHAN
(Feb 4, 1917-August 10, 1980) Took over as President after Ayub Khan resigned in 1969. Resigned in 1971 as a disgraced ruler who had been defeated by India and lost East Pakistan. His ouster marked a hiatus in military rule.
ZIA-UL HAQ
Aug 12, 1924 - Aug 17, 1988) Overthrew Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in a coup in 1977 and had him hanged. Ruled as chief martial law administrator until his sudden death in a plane crash in August 1988. During his rule, Pakistan was declared an Islamic republic.
PERVEZ MUSHARRAF
(11 August 1943 -) Overthrew Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup in Oct 1999. The man behind Kargil, Musharraf emerged as a cunning politician, who shed his uniform to get 'elected' as President. He lost power in Aug 2008, and now lives in London.