According to Asif, the process of making appointments for the top slots in the army has begun. Asif says that the process “will be complete soon after fulfilling all the constitutional requirements.”
ISLAMABAD: On Monday, the Minister of Defense Khawaja Asif stated unequivocally that the “process of appointments in the army” has officially begun as of today.
In addition, the minister stated that the procedure “would be finished shortly after completing all of the constitutional conditions.”
According to Express Tribune previously that sources had informed them that the summary had been handed to the PMO and that five names are named in it. The Prime Minister’s Office, on the other hand, has not commented on the latest development.
An appointment replete with rumors and conjectures.
Yesterday, a senior official in the government dispelled rumors that there had been any sort of impasse between the civil and military sectors regarding the crucial appointment.
“You will see the clear picture will emerge by Monday evening regarding the process of appointment,” the high-ranking official had said to The Express Tribune on Sunday while requesting anonymity. “You will see the clear picture will emerge by Monday evening regarding the process of appointment.”
The incumbent Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, will hang up his uniform on November 29, the same day that the new Army Chief will take charge of the military. Bajwa has served as Army Chief for the past six years.
Many people believe that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s long march has something to do with the change in command in the army, and as a result, there has been an extraordinary amount of interest in the appointment of his successor. He has urged those who support him to congregate in Rawalpindi on November 26, two days before General Bajwa turns over command of the army to the incoming commander.
It has been theorised that the administration and the army may have butted heads over the new appointment, and there have been rumors to support this theory. One plausible explanation is that the military establishment does not support the individual chosen by the administration to fill the top position.
Those claims, however, were debunked by a high-ranking official in the government. “Regarding this matter, the civil and military leadership are completely in agreement with one another. Everything is operating as it should.”
When asked, the official responded by stating that the government would only receive the summary from the ministry of defense if it specifically requested that it do so.
The official continued by saying, “We haven’t yet requested for the summary,” and went on to say that the premier would soon write a letter asking for the summary to be provided. According to the official, the appointment would be made in accordance with the planning.
In addition to that, there have been inquiries regarding the seniority list. There is a rumor going around that a certain candidate’s name will not be included in the summary because he has already announced his intention to retire before the army chief does.
However, the government official refuted these claims and stated that he would be included in a significant way in the summary as well as considered for the top slot.
According to the seniority list, Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, Lieutenant General Asim Munir, Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Lieutenant General Azhar Abbas, Lieutenant General Numan Mahmud, and Lieutenant General Azhar Abbas are all candidates for the position of chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee and army chief.
