On Tuesday, the government turned down a plan by former prime minister Imran Khan to make Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s job last longer. According to a Private news source, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said it is “too soon” to talk about who will lead the army.
The leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had asked for the army chief’s term to be extended and said that the government was looking for a new person to fill the job.
Asif said on Twitter that Khan had “sunk so low in his desire for power that he is now using the army chief’s appointment to take attention away from the elections and politics.”
The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader also said that the current government would decide on the appointment when the time is right and in line with the Constitution and the institution’s traditions. “Political interests have no place in important national decisions,” he said.
Asif said on a private TV channel that the PTI chairman is trying to make the appointment of the army chief controversial on purpose. He said that this is “too early” to talk about now since Bajwa still has two and a half months left in his job.
“It’s not in the country’s best interest to talk about this issue right now, and it’s not in the organization’s best interest to drag its leader in charge of defence into politics,” he said. He also said that Khan is going after the establishment on the one hand and trying to open up dialogue. “Isolation in politics is clear,” he said.
Khan did a dramatic about-face on Monday and said picking the next army chief should wait until after the next general election. The suggestion amounts to giving General Qamar Javed Bajwa another extension, even if it’s only for a short time.
