Army chief’s appointment: Imran insists he proposed deferment, not extension

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday denied he had suggested an extension in the tenure of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa till the next elections.

Speaking to a private TV channel a day earlier, the former prime minister had suggested that the appointment of the new army chief should be deferred until a new government was elected, which should then choose the new military head.

Talking to journalists at Banigala, Imran said: “I never talked about an extension in the army chief’s tenure; I just proposed that the appointment of army chief should be deferred till the new elections.”

Imran said the newly-elected government should decide the army chief’s selection on merit, adding that he never said who should be the military’s head. “Even today, I say no institution can run without merit; the army is strong because their merit system is better,” he said.

“I did not say anything to elicit a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR),” he said, adding that two families [Sharif and Zardari families] should never select the head of the armed forces.

Imran decided to call on the nation to protest against the government in September. He contended that the matter of giving the final call to the nation will not go beyond September. “The nation is with me; people will hit the roads whenever I give them a call,” he said.

“They are pushing me to the stage where I will give a call. I have spoken for Pakistan; I stand with the institution which is with the national interest. They do not understand how to play my inswing yorker,” he stated.

Commenting on reports about the possible return of PMLN chief Nawaz Sharif from London, Imran said he will give Nawaz a ‘historic welcome’ on landing back home.

He said selection of judges was also an important matter adding that the judiciary should also devise a powerful system [for selection of judges]. “We want to see a strong and independent judiciary. At this time, Pakistan has a relatively independent judiciary. The country cannot make progress without an independent judiciary,” he said.

Imran criticised that 20 FIRs, including a terrorism case, were lodged against him when he demanded a legal action. “People can’t find such examples from military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq’s era. Pervez Musharraf’s era was relatively better than the current one,” Imran said.

The PTI chief again came down hard on the Election Commission of Pakistan and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja. He alleged that the incumbent CEC was not of Pakistan but that of PMLN and said efforts were being made to impose the ‘minus-one formula’, as they know they could not win the match in the presence of Imran Khan.

Regarding his arrest, Imran said when there was talk of his arrest, he had prepared his bag and packed his books so that he could study while in jail. He bitterly criticised the government for its economic policies and pointed out that the IMF itself said that Pakistan had the weakest government at the moment.

He alleged that there was no merit in both PMLN and PPP and questioned Maryam’s standing in comparison with Chaudhry Nisar. He said Chaudhry Nisar’s entire political experience was left aside and the party was handed over to Maryam.

Speaking about the ongoing speculations and media reports that the federal government was making attempts to change the Punjab government, Imran said those who were thinking of toppling the Punjab government were not sincere to the country.

Meanwhile, the US Democratic Party leader Tahir Javed called on Imran Khan at Banigala. During the meeting, the flood situation and issues of mutual interest came under discussion.

Meanwhile, PTI Senior Vice President and former information minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Tuesday said the party Chairman Imran Khan had talked about extension of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa until the new elections.

Talking to a news channel, Fawad said what Imran meant was an extension. Answering a question, he said issuing a new notification with regard to the office of the army chief was a legal matter and it rested with the attorney general for Pakistan or the JAG Branch of Pakistan Army.