Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated on Wednesday that he believed the new army chief will be named before Shehbaz Sharif’s departure for Ankara on November 25.
Khawaja Asif in an informal talk with reporters hours after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed it had received the summary for the appointment of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
He said, “The formalities, the procedure laid out in the law will likely take a day.”
When asked if the issue will be brought up with the cabinet, Asif responded that he was “unaware” of this because it was a “technical” issue. He emphasized that the decision will be made after the formalities are fulfilled.
Additionally, he was silent when asked if the next army chief would be the most experienced choice. “I have no idea. I’m not sure, but you can ask someone else.”
The minister continued by saying that during a meeting scheduled for later today, the prime minister would also share information about the appointments with the coalition government. Additionally, “the cabinet will also be taken into confidence if a cabinet meeting occurs.”
Asif bemoaned how the event had been covered in the media. This is a process with its sanctity and it shouldn’t have been up for discussion in public.
He denied claims that the government had received a summary containing four names to which objections had been voiced. He said, “That is false, asking the media community to refrain from unwarranted conjecture.”
“The media has been speaking for certain interests. I don’t believe the media ought to be politicized,” he remarked.
