Decision on new army chief likely within 48 hours: Asif
Defence minister expresses confidence that a ‘smooth transaction’ would take place in appointing the new army chief; Dar takes notice of leak of Bajwa family’s tax records
Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Tuesday that a decision on who will be the next chief of army staff would be made public over the next 48 hours.
While talking to a private television channel on Tuesday, Asif was asked about the status of the appointment process, to which he said that there would not be any undue delay in the process.
“It is expected in 48 hours,” he said. “Yesterday, we sent the letter [from the ministry to the military command]. Now, if we get the dossiers today or tomorrow, it is a matter of routine.”
He added that once they get the summary, then it is a formal move because then it has to go to the cabinet (for endorsement).
“Then the advice will go to the president, then hopefully the same day or the next day that will be sorted out,” he explained.
“The names [of the new army chief and the chairman joint chiefs of staff] will be public tomorrow or the day after,” he said.
Asif expressed confidence that a “smooth transaction” would take place in appointing the new army chief.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has summoned a special meeting of the federal cabinet for Thursday.
It is expected that he will take all cabinet members into confidence over who his pick for the next army chief is before he departs on an official tour to Turkiye.
Other political and economic developments were also expected to be reviewed in the cabinet meeting.
The agenda of the cabinet meeting was not expected to be disclosed until late on Wednesday.
Earlier, Minister for Finance Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar has taken a serious notice of illegal and unwarranted leakage of tax details of the family members of Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
An official statement said the leak of tax details was clearly a violation of complete confidentiality that the law provided.
In view of this serious lapse on the part of to-date unknown functionaries, the finance minister has directed Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha to personally lead an immediate investigation into the violation of tax law and breach of FBR data, affix responsibility and submit a report within twenty four hours.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Bajwa himself could respond to the story of the website, Fact Focus, about the leak of tax details of his family members.
Sanaullah said there was “no such thing with the assets” of the army chief’s family members, adding that there might be some mischief or design behind the leak. He said it was necessary to block the website to frustrate its design.
The website is run by a journalist, who is living in the United States for quite some time.
Sanaullah also said that PTI chief Imran Khan faced a threat and if something happened to him, it would bring a storm of embarrassment to the country.
“Every enemy and every enemy agency of Pakistan are after his life since he has got an FIR registered against him,” The News quoted the minister as saying.
“Now if something happens to (Imran), may it not be so and I pray for his long life, then the finger would be pointed at the Pakistan Army, the ISI, myself, and the prime minister because he has already got four names taped,” he added.
Sanaullah said that if somebody managed to succeed in their nefarious ideas, then no one would be able to approach or touch them because the entire blame would shift to the four people already pointed out in the tape.
“If this happens, don’t you think the country will slip into a civil war? It’s tragic that this man, this unblessed man, has brought the country to a stage where if he exits or something happens to him, he will be a source of chaos, anarchy and evildoing for the country.”