Sharif’s office receives names of army chief candidates
PM TO CONSULT OUTGOING CHIEF BAJWA TODAY, BEFORE MEETING PRESIDENT
Pakistan’s government is all set to appoint a new general to the most powerful office in the country as the current army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, retires next week.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Office confirmed yesterday that it has received the summary from the Ministry of Defence containing the six names for the appointment of the top two military positions — chief of army staff (COAS) and the chairman joint chief of staff committee (CJCSC).
“The prime minister will take a decision on the appointments as per the laid down procedure,” the statement said.
In a tweet, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif confirmed that the government had received a summary about the candidates. The military also took to Twitter, saying it sent the names of six senior generals for consideration.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office tweeted yesterday: “The PM Office has received the summary from the Ministry of Defence with a panel of names for the appointment of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Army Staff.”
Sharif has the authority to pick any general from the panel of generals recommended to him by the military.
The PM Office has received the summary from the Ministry of Defence with a panel of names for the appointment of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Army Staff.”
Prime Minister Office
Bajwa is retiring at a time when former prime minister Imran Khan is asking Sharif to announce snap elections, a demand that the coalition government has rejected, saying the next parliamentary vote will take place in 2023 as scheduled.
General Bajwa, who has been the army chief since 2016 and received an extension in 2019, will retire on November 29.
A special meeting of the federal cabinet has been convened to deliberate the appointments. Sharif is expected to hold a consultation with the outgoing chief today on the selection of his successor.
He is then expected to advise President Arif Alvi to appoint the general as the next army chief. The government is expected to complete the process of appointment by end of this week.