NATIONAL

No consultation held on COAS appointment yet: Khawaja Asif

By Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said that appointment of next army chief is the prerogative of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and no consultation has taken place in this regard thus far.

The statement comes following PTI chief Imran Khan accused premier Shehbaz Sharif of violating the Official Secret Act by consulting with Nawaz Sharif who he said was an absconder and a convict and vowed to move court against the consultation.

Speaking to the journalists at Parliament House here, the minister clarified that a decision about the army chief’s appointment has not been made yet.

The extended stay of Prime Minister Shehbaz along with his key advisers in London purportedly to discuss the key appointment and other issues of national importance with his elder brother Nawaz Sharif heightened confusion and sparked rumours about the issue.

“Holding consolations on the appointment of the army chief is the prerogative of the prime minister. However, no consultation has been held on the matter so far,” the minister added.

Legislation to extend army chief’s tenure should be revoked: Sana

In a bid to avoid conflicts and politics over the appointment of the army chief, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Monday suggested that the legislation introduced during PTI’s government to extend the tenure of the army chief should be abolished.

In an interview with a private TV channel, Sanaullah said that the legislation will keep disturbing every army chief in the future as well.

Referring to the procedure for the appointment of the chief justice of Pakistan, the interior minister underscored the need for devising a formula for the appointment of COAS. He was of the view that the senior-most officer should be appointed as the next army chief through a judiciary-like system.

“The prime minister has discretion regarding the army chief’s appointment,” he said, adding that the prime minister should consult with all the stakeholders about the appointment.

The interior minister said that the prime minister will announce the name of the new COAS in the next few days. Responding to a question about the differences between Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz over the name of the next army chief, the interior minister termed the reports as rumours.

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