Allies throw weight behind PM over appointment of Army Chief
Pakistan
Allies throw weight behind PM over appointment of Army Chief
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Coalition partners on Wednesday while expressing complete confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said that they will stand by him in every decision.
This was said in a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the appointment of Army Chief and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Khalid Magsi, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of MQM, Jamiat Ahl-Hadith Professor Sajid Mir and others participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, consultation was held on the appointment of the COAS and the CJCSC, while country s political situation also came under discussion. The prime minister also took the allies in confidence ahead of the Army Chief and forwarding summary to the President.
Sources privy to the development said that during the meeting, former President Asif Ali Zardari said that the constitution has given PM Shehbaz Sharif right and the privilege to appoint the Army Chief.
During the meeting, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain leader of PML-Q, told the prime minister that it was his constitutional right to make such appointments and they would fully support his decision.
Allah Almighty had bestowed upon him the honour and placed him in such a position, he added.
Amir of Jammiat-e-Ulema Islam (F) Maulana Fazalur Rehman also reiterated support to the prime minister and said that they would own any decision taken by the prime minister.
Co-Chairperson PPP and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and leader of Balochistan Awami Party Dr Khalid Magsi also extended their full support to the prime minister.
MQM-P convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui while expressing full confidence thanked the prime minister for holding a consultation with them. He said it was the constitutional mandate of the prime minister to take a decision.
Aslam Bhootani announced that the prime minister would take the decision under the constitution and they would fully endorse it.
Mohsin Dawar and Quami Watan Party Chairman Aftab Ahmed Sherpao also lend full support to the prime minister in making decisions.
Minister for Narcotics Control and leader of Jamhoori Watan Party Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti, on the occasion, expressed that the constitution had given a prerogative to the prime minister and lauded the prime minister for holding a consultation. He said it reflected the democratic thinking of the prime minister.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, senior PML-N leader and former prime minister, said that it was a matter of pride for them that all the leadership of the coalition parties had expressed complete confidence in the prime minister.
Appointment to be made before PM s Turkiye visit, says Kh Asif
Earlier today, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said he expected the new army chief to be appointed before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif s visit to Turkey on Friday, hours after the premier s office announced that it has received the names of six top generals.
He said the formalities, the procedure laid down in the law would likely take a day. However, he expected that the process would be completed before the prime minister’s scheduled two-day visit to Turkiye on the invitation of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, 61, is scheduled to retire on November 29 after a three-year extension. He has ruled out seeking another extension. "The prime minister will leave the day after tomorrow in the evening. So it (the appointment of new army chief) will be settled before then," Asif said.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) will send the summary to President Arif Alvi who will notify the appointments of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
Prime Minister Sharif was scheduled to leave for Ankara on a two-day visit on Friday at the invitation of Turkish President Reccip Tayyip Erdogan.
PM Office received summary
The Prime Minister’s Office late Wednesday confirmed that it had received the summary from the Defence Ministry for the appointment of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS).
“The PM’s Office has received the summary from the Ministry of Defence with a panel of names for the appointment of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Army Staff,” the official twitter account of the PM Office said.
The PM’s Office said the decision regarding the appointment would be taken as per procedure. “The Prime Minister will take a decision on the appointments as per the laid down procedure,” it said.
Earlier by midnight, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a tweet had said that General Headquarters (GHQ) had forwarded the summary to the Ministry of Defence for selection of CJCSC and COAS, containing names of six senior-most Lieutenant Generals.
