On Monday, the Minister of Defense, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said that the process for the nomination of the new army commander would be concluded in the next one to three days. He mentioned this during a press conference.
Speaking on the floor of the House, Khawaja Asif stated that the Ministry of Defense has been in receipt of a formal letter from the Prime Minister, which has been communicated to the General Headquarters in order to initiate the process for the appointment of the next army chief. He added that this letter has been communicated to the General Headquarters.
The minister strongly encouraged the media not to make any assumptions about the outcome of the process and to respect its sanctity in this regard.
Earlier, Khawaja was quoted as saying that the process to pick the new army commander has officially begun. However, the summary for the nomination would be sent to the office of the PM within the next day or two.
Asif said that every step of the process would be finished by November 25, rejected claims that the nomination was stuck in a stalemate, and emphasized that government allies are being engaged at every level.
According to the senior minister, there is no pressure being put on the administration in reference to the nomination of the army commander. As soon as we have the synopsis in hand, we will meet to debate the names, which will most likely include five or six of the most senior commanders,” Asif said.
