PML-N senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi warned on Tuesday that reluctance in sending a much-anticipated summary for the coveted post constitutes a “violation of the constitution,” expressing his concerns over the delay in appointing the new army chief. Abbasi made his comments in response to the delay in appointing the new army chief.
In an interview with a private television station, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the person who had previously held the position of prime minister urged the relevant authorities to deliver the summary as soon as possible so that the prime minister could make a decision about it as quickly as possible.
“Pakistan as a whole is waiting to hear who will take over as the next army commander,” Abbasi said.
According to Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, it would be inappropriate if the name of an incompetent person were to be included in the summary of the candidates for army commander, and he added that the situation may be contested in court if such a thing were to occur.
It is important to note that the first step in the official procedure for choosing a new army commander is for the General Headquarters to forward a list of the highest-ranking generals to the Prime Minister via the Defense Ministry. This is the first step in the formal process.
On Monday, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif gave his assurance that the much-anticipated selection of the new army commander would be completed within the next 48 hours.
Khawaja Asif, speaking to Geo News, stated that the defense ministry will receive a list of the senior officers from the GHQ by tomorrow and that the ministry is likely to move a summary in this regard to the prime minister within the next 24 hours. Khawaja Asif was referring to the fact that the GHQ will send the list to the defense ministry.
According to statements made by Khawaja Asif, the General Headquarters have the only authority to propose candidates for the position of army commander (GHQ).
In response to the rumors, the minister said that there is no conflict between the civilian population and the military over the issue. He went on to say that Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has respect for Nawaz Sharif.
When the minister was asked a question on the relationship between Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Imran Khan, he responded by saying, “It is outside of my authority.” It is imperative that Imran Khan and General Qamar Javed Bajwa be aware of the situation.
