Pakistan chooses moderate to take over as army chief

Pakistan on Wednesday named a career infantry officer credited with re-writing the infantry manual as its new all-powerful army chief, a key position as the country fights a Taliban insurgency and increasing Islamist violence.Sharif is seen as a moderate who views the militant threat inside Pakistan as just as important as the strategic tussle with India. "Sharif has played a big role in convincing the army that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and assorted militants inside Pakistan are as big a threat (as India)," a retired senior army officer who Sharif has served under told Reuters. The TTP is a group of Islamist militants in the country's lawless tribal areas next to Afghanistan. Sharif's appointment came as somewhat of a surprise as three other men had been seen as leading candidates.