LONDON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced that the appointment of the Army Chief should be decided constitutionally, after key meetings with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) chief Nawaz Sharif and other party leaders in London. will, and the appointment of the senior most officer will be decided. Pakistan’s next army chief.
The appointment of Army Chief is a constitutional matter. It will be decided according to the constitution,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said here before leaving for Pakistan.
However, Khawaja Asif said that the PMLN leaders discussed the appointment of the new army chief but the decision will be taken after the constitutional process begins. In a tweet, he said, “The media is full of speculation that the Nawaz-Shahbaz London huddle decided on the appointment of the new army chief. Discussions have taken place but the decision should be taken in consultation after the constitutional process begins.”
On November 2, the Prime Minister left for London after completing his two-day visit to Egypt to attend the COP27 summit. In London, the prime minister and the PMLN supremo took important decisions, including the appointment of the next army chief.
Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Punjab PMLN leader Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan also participated in two rounds of meetings. JEE News further informed that a principled decision was taken in the meeting to prioritize merit for military posts. The Sharif brothers will also take the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership into confidence on this issue.
The prime minister’s visit to London comes two weeks before the end of the tenure of Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa, who will retire on November 29. Meanwhile, PTI chief Imran Khan also reiterated and criticized his position of appointing the army chief on ‘merit’. Prime Minister Shehbaz consulted Nawaz Sharif to take a decision.
