Defence Minister Khawaja Asif rejected reports about consultations over the army chief’s appointment between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in London.

“The consultation over the appointment of the new army chief has not been held yet,” the minister said while speaking to the media outside the Parliament House Islamabad.

He said that the appointment of the next army chief was the prerogative of the prime minister.

Khawaja’s statement came after the extended stay of PM Shehbaz in London purportedly to discuss the key appointment and other issues of national importance with PML-N supremo sparked rumours about the issue.

Taking a jibe at PTI Chairperson Imran Khan over his apparent U-turn on ‘foreign conspiracy narrative’, the defence minister said that Imran’s entire politics consists of U-turns.

“He denies everything. In the past four years. Has he stood by any of his statements?”