Imran turning army chief appointment controversial: Kh Asif
Pakistan
Asif said it is the constitutional and legal authority of the government to appoint the army chief.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Reacting to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s statement regarding giving extension to Army Chief after November, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif said that the PTI Chairman is turning the appointment of new Army Chief controversial under a "well-calculated plan".
The Defence Minister said in a statement that it is the constitutional and legal authority of the government to appoint the army chief and it [the government] will ultimately fulfil this duty.
Khawaja Asif said Imran Khan wished to appoint the army chief of his choosing. There are still two and a half months left before the appointment of the Army Chief, he noted. The process of considering it has not even started yet, the defence minister said.
Khawaja Asif claimed that Imran Khan had held meetings at his residence in Banigala. The PML-N leader said the PTI people still want US support. He also highlighted what Imran Khan had said about the courts. "Now, Imran Khan is also crossing our religious red lines," he added.
He said that the Punjab government could collapse at any time as it is based on a few votes. There are resentments in his [Imran’s] party, Asif said. He added that the current situation is that even Asad Umar and Shah Mehmood Qureshi are not willing to defend Imran Khan’s statements.
In an exclusive interview with Dunya News programme Dunya Kamran Khan Kay Sath, former Prime Minister Imran Khan suggested deferring the appointment of the new army chief until the country has a newly formed government. Per Imran Khan, the upcoming government should appoint the leader of the Pakistan Army.
