ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif Saturday said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would appoint the new army chief on time in November as per rules and procedures.

Asif’s remarks came days after former premier Imran Khan said that the next chief of army staff should be appointed by the new government after the elections.

“Nawaz Sharif has fulfilled this political responsibility four times and Shehbaz will do the same in November,” Asif said while responding to a question at a press conference.

He said that the policy regarding the army chief’s appointment was clear in the Constitution but Khan was trying to make it controversial.

He wanted to make the army chief’s appointment controversial, he said, adding that no one had any doubt about the loyalty of the head of the Army to the Constitution and the institutions.

The minister said that politics is something different but institutions should not be made controversial.

Appointment of COAS is done on merit, says Asif

The current army chief is set to retire by the end of November after completing two tenures, each of three years, and his successor would be chosen by the prime minister out of senior serving lieutenant generals.

The minister also warned the people to not speak against the country’s national security. He said action would be taken against them.

He also alleged that Imran Khan would not hesitate in sabotaging Pakistan for his personal benefit.

While talking about the recent flood catastrophe, Asif said that Russia had also offered to provide wheat to Pakistan. He said there is a possibility of food shortages that may occur in the aftermath of the deluge.

In one of the meetings of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, Putin said that pipeline gas supplies to Pakistan were possible, revealing that necessary infrastructures were already in place.

The minister confirmed that Russia said that they have gas pipelines in Central Asian countries and the pipelines could be extended to Pakistan via Afghanistan.

The minister said that President Putin also appreciated Pakistan’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war in the United Nations (UN) and internationally.

Talking about the meeting with the Chinese president, he said that Xi expressed his wish to resume the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project with the “same efficiency and passion.”

China has also offered to help Pakistan through difficult times.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022