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Wednesday December 25, 2024

Never spoke about extension of army chief's tenure: Imran Khan

During an interview with a private news channel a day earlier, Khan proposed to "extend army chief's tenure until the election of the next government"

By Web Desk
September 13, 2022
In this file photo the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa meets Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Prime Minister House. — PID/File
In this file photo the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa meets Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Prime Minister House. — PID/File

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday denied talking about granting an extension to the serving Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

"I never spoke about extending the army chief's tenure. I spoke about deferring the appointment of an army chief until the next elections," Khan said while speaking to journalists in Islamabad.

He added that a new government should decide on the new army chief.

"I never said who should be the army chief.  I always stressed for an army chief's appointment to be done on merit. A chief justice should also be appointed on merit," the former premier said.

The former prime minister said he has decided to give a call against the coalition government in September.

“They are trying to impose the minus-one formula. They [coalition government] know that they won’t be able to win the match in Imran Khan’s presence,” the former PM said.

Commenting on the "shock" conveyed by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) regarding Khan’s "anti-military statements" issued during his party’s political gathering in Faisalabad, the PTI chairman said that he did not say anything to elicit a statement from the ISPR.

Taking a jibe at PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Khan said that he is awaiting to welcome him when he returns to Pakistan.

“Two families should not select an army chief’s name,” Khan remarked.