Pakistan's Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani is a powerful political factor in his country, Obama Administration's point man for Afghanistan and Pakistan has said.
"He (Kayani) is an enormously powerful political factor in the country. And we have extensive discussions with him," Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke told the popular Charlie Rose Show in an interview.
"General Kayani, first of all, he's a very powerful person and a very important fact never this equation," he said.
"He was head of the ISI. He also went to Fort Leavenworth Command and Control College and is proud to say he is a member of the Fort Leavenworth Hall of Fame (in Kansas).
Among general officers I've known, he's a remarkable strategic thinker. He's very smart," Holbrooke said in response to a question.