PTI takes U-turn: No issue with whoever is selected as COAS, says Pervez Khattak

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seems to have resolved some of the major issues with the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership as senior party leaders, including former defence minister Pervez Khattak and ex-speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar Khan, said that the PTI would welcome whoever was appointed chief of the army staff (COAS). “This is wrong to say that we are interested in a particular person to be appointed as chief of army staff. We don’t have any favourite person and would welcome anyone who is appointed as chief of the army staff,” Pervez Khattak told journalists during a press conference here Monday.

Asad Qaisar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Higher Education Minister Kamran Bangash accompanied him. They announced that PTI workers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would leave for Islamabad on November 4 to join Imran Khan’s “Haqeeqi Azadi” long march against what he called an “imported and corrupt government”.

Asad Qaisar clarified the party’s position on the appointment of the new army chief. “Actually, some people had created a wrong impression as if the PTI is interested in a particular general to be made the army chief. This is totally untrue as we don’t have any concern about the new army chief,” the former speaker National Assembly and an old aide to Imran Khan explained.

Pervez Khattak on a lighter note said that Mian Nawaz Sharif had appointed four army chiefs but he didn’t get anything. “To us all the generals are excellent and we will welcome them if anyone among them is made the chief,” he said.

Both, Pervez Khattak and Asad Qaisar also denied reports that Imran Khan had offered an extension in service for an indefinite period to the incumbent army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. “Before believing this nonsense, people should use their brain as if there is any room in the constitution for a lifetime army chief. When it is not legally possible how come someone will offer it,” said Pervez Khattak. He said PTI had no issues with the establishment.

Pervez Khattak denied any backdoor negotiations with the PDM leadership, saying at least he wasn’t aware of any such development. He said since they had a culture of meeting and having friendly relations with politicians of other political parties, therefore they talked to each other on different issues but they never met the PDM leaders, particularly after the launch of the long march. The PTI leaders said they worked hard in the past few months and successfully mobilised their party workers to get them ready for the long march. They planned to leave for Islamabad on November 4.

Pervez Khattak, who is PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president, said the party workers of southern districts would use the GT Road from Dera Ismail Khan while people of other areas including Peshawar region, Malakand and Hazara would travel by the motorway and they would meet in Taxila.

“All the party workers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will meet in Taxila and there we will wait for the instructions of party leader Imran Khan. As usual, we will remain peaceful and will not carry any arms or ammunition to Islamabad,” the PTI leader said. He said they had issued clear-cut instructions to their party workers not to carry any arms with them.

Pervez Khattak said some of their people can carry their personal licensed arms for self-defence in case they had any security issues. He said they had a single demand from the government and that was to call early elections in the country.

The PTI workers will stay in Islamabad till the date of the general election is announced in the country, he said. “All the opposition parties are running away from the elections as they know they will lose if polls are held soon. They can’t face us in the elections and are therefore using delaying tactics,” Pervez Khattak alleged.

He accused Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah of threatening the PTI people by using the government machinery. “Peaceful protest is our fundamental right. If we did any illegal activity, they should take action against us under the law, but at least don’t create hurdles for our peaceful agitation,” Pervez Khattak asked the government. They claimed ‘Imran Khan was presently Pakistan’s most popular political leader and the only choice for the people. Asad Qaisar said Imran Khan’s popularity can be judged from Sunday’s by-election for the National Assembly seat in Kurram tribal district where they had not run a proper election campaign but even then people elected him with a majority. He said the government wanted to provoke the PTI workers as it had also announced a similar procession on November 4. “We don’t want any clash with the government and it would be responsible for any such incident as they had intentionally announced their procession on November 4 when thousands of our people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be leaving for Islamabad,” he said.

Pervez Khattak admitted that they could not do well in their three and a half years of rule in the Centre, saying their hands were tied due to a lack of a simple majority in the parliament.