ISLAMABAD: A senior government minister said on Monday Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan was trying to make the appointment of the next army chief controversial after the ex-premier suggested to extend the term of the current army commander until the formation of a new government in the country.
Khan has been seeking fresh elections in Pakistan since his ouster from power in a no-confidence vote in April. He has also refused to accept the legitimacy of the current coalition government, saying it was brought into power after his administration was brought down by international powers that resented its independent foreign policy.
The former prime minister also discussed the army chief’s appointment in a recent political rally where he told his followers the government wanted to bring in its “favorite” candidate to protect itself from corruption cases.
He also maintained that a “strong and patriotic” army chief would ask the top leaders of the ruling coalition about their ill-gotten wealth.
“Imran Khan is trying to make the appointment of the army chief controversial under a well thought out strategy,” defense minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told Geo News while responding to a recent statement of the ex-premier over the issue. “It is our right to appoint the army chief and we will exercise it.”
Asif maintained that Pakistan was facing plenty of challenges, including the devastation caused by floods, adding it was not right to raise the issue at such a critical junction.
Earlier, Khan gave a lengthy interview to Dunya News wherein he reiterated that the current administration should not be allowed to appoint the new army chief in November.
Asked if he was suggesting that General Qamar Javed Bajwa should get an extension until the formation of the next government, he said: “I have not thought about it in detail.”
However, he maintained it was possible to find some legal provision to deal with the issue.
“I don’t know what lawyers and constitutional experts say about this,” he said when the anchor asked him for a clear answer. “All I am saying is that the country is facing extraordinary circumstances.”
Khan maintained the politicians running the current administration could appoint the army chief if they managed to win free and fair elections and returned to power.
