Loose deliveries cannot be afforded in army chief appointment: Kh Asif

Loose deliveries cannot be afforded in army chief appointment, says Khawaja Asif.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Wednesday that the government could not afford any loose delivery as appointment of next army chief is a critical matter.

The minister made the comments while talking to media after holding a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The government is vetting names of five lieutenant generals for two highest appointments – Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) – in Pakistan Army.

The main contenders for the posts include, Lieutenant Generals Asim Munir, Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Faiz Hameed, Mohammad Amir, Azhar Abbas and Nauman Mehmood. Asif told media that key postings will be made in line with the set rules and regulations, adding that decision should be taken in the interest of public and the country. The defence minister said that all coalition partners will be taken into confidence regarding major appointments in the army. While talking about the return of Pakistan Msulim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to Pakistan, he hoped that the PML-N supremo would come back to the homeland by the end of this year.