ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan army chief should be a competent person with a “flawless” reputation, ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party leader Maryam Nawaz said on Thursday, as a debate was reignited this week on the appointment of arguably the country’s most powerful official.
Current army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa is scheduled to retire in November this year. The military’s spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar announced last month that Bajwa, who is already on an extension, would not seek another extension or accept one if offered by the government.
On Wednesday, senior PML-N leader and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif renewed debate on the army chief’s appointment when he said in an interview that if the army recommended the name of Peshawar corps commander Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as a candidate for the chief's post, the government would consider it.
The PML-N has been openly critical of Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, who served as the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief from June 16, 2019, to Oct 19, 2021,. Hameed is considered close to ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was ousted by the PML-N as part of a joint opposition no-confidence vote in parliament.
“Pakistan’s army chief should be a person who should be free of any criticism, doubts, whose reputation should be flawless,” Nawaz told reporters in Islamabad when asked about the defence minister’s remarks about Hameed.
“This is best for the people of Pakistan, the 220 million people and for the armed forces as well,” she added. “A competent person, one who is free of any stains, should become the chief of the army so that the people salute him.”
In a veiled reference to Hameed during a rally in Attock last week, Nawaz had said former PM Khan had used the ex-spy chief to gather support against the PML-N and other opposition parties.
The Pakistan military denies it interferes in politics, though it has ruled Pakistan for almost half its history.
