I don’t believe in extension, will retire on due date: COAS

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif on Monday said he would not get extension in his service, and will retire on due date on Monday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), General Sharif stated that he would retire as soon as his tenure expires.

The chief also said that efforts to rootout terrorism would continue with vigor. He also said that Pakistan's national interest is supreme and would be protected at all costs. General Sharif is the 15th Chief of Army Staff who was appointed on November 27, 2013 by Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif. The Army Chief is scheduled for retirement in November 2016.

The Chief of Army Staff has been lauded across the board for launching a massive operation called Zarb-e-Azb against militants. The operation was launched in June 2014, killing around 3,500 terrorists so far and has destroyed nearly 1,000 hideouts. Around 30,000 armymen are taking part in the large-scale operation. According to a survey, terror attacks in Pakistan have decreased to a sixyear-low since military has come in action.

In December last year, President Mamnoon Hussain had said that the tribal areas of Pakistan have regained peace as a result of the successful operation. After Peshawar Army Public School (APS) attack that claimed at least 140 lives in December 2014, mostly children, Constitution of Pakistan was amended to lay legal grounds for establishment of military courts. Moratorium on death penalty was lifted by the country s leadership. According to a report, more than 332 death row inmates have been hanged until now.

The total number of executions also includes hardcore terrorists who were tired and sentenced by army courts. It should be mentioned here that the former army chief General ® Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani had accepted three-year extension in his serv- ice. On July 24 2010, then PM Yousaf Raza Gilani had extended Kiyani's tenure making him the first four-star officer to recieve extension from any government.

On the other hand, in the early hours today a plea was filed in the Supreme Court (SC) seeking extension in the COAS s service tenure. Local named Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi has stated that Zarb-e-Azb, the operation which has been hailed as bone-breaker of terror outfits is continuing successfully under Army Chief's leadership.

The petitioner has maintained that General Raheel Sharif's service tenure is needed to be extended for elimination of extremism from the country. Naqvi stated that situation in Karachi is also moving towards betterment. Meanwhile, A petition seeking three-year extension in service of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif has been filed in the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Monday.