Pakistan Army aghast over PTI Chairman’s statement, ISPR

Pakistan Army aghast over PTI Chairman’s statement, ISPR said in a statement issued on Monday.

Showing a strong reaction against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s defamatory remarks in his Faisalabad public meeting, the Media wing of the Pak army, in a statement said that Pakistan Army is very angry over the statement of the PTI chairman.

The attempt to make the top brass of the Pakistan army controversial at this critical time is very regrettable when the Pak army is sacrificing lives every day for the security of the nation, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) maintained.

“Regrettably, an attempt has been made to discredit and undermine [the] senior leadership of [the] Pakistan Army at a time when the institution is laying lives for the security and safety of the people of Pakistan every day. Senior politicians trying to stir controversies on the appointment of the chief of army staff (COAS), the procedure for which is well defined in the constitution, is most unfortunate and disappointing, the ISPR said.

“Politicising the senior leadership of Pakistan Army and scandalizing the process of selection of [the] COAS is neither in the interest of the state of Pakistan nor of the institution. Pakistan Army reiterates its commitment to uphold the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” the statement concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, appointed COAS in 2016, is set to retire in the last week of November.

The army chief’s appointment is meant to be for three years, but Gen Bajwa was given an additional three-year term in 2019 after a much-hyped political drama.

Imran Khan’s statement on the COAS appointment

Former Prime minister Imran Khan, at a rally in Faisalabad on Sep 4, alleged that the PPP and PML-N were opposing fresh elections, because they wanted to “appoint an army chief of their choice” in November to save their skin in corruption cases.

“They want to bring their own army chief…they are afraid that if a strong and patriotic army chief is appointed then he would ask them about the looted wealth,” PTI Chairman said.

“They are sitting [in the government] because they want to bring in an army chief of their choice through joint efforts,” Imran claimed.

He went on to add that the army chief should be “appointed on merit … whoever is on the top of the merit list should be appointed” to head the institution.