ISLAMABAD: Ahead of the key appointment of the army chief, consultations are being held between the incumbent government and its coalition partners.

Sources said that important consultative meetings are being held in the Prime Minister’s House.

Sources privy to the matter said that a decision is expected to be taken soon on the summary of the new army chief and chairman joint chief of staff committee of the Pakistan Army.

Following the final decision, Minister for Information Maryam Aurangzeb will hold a press conference and will inform about the developments.

Army chief’s appointment is prerogative of PM Shehbaz

Meanwhile, former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said the appointment of the new army chief was the prerogative of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Earlier, a PML-N delegation headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar met Asif Ali Zardari at Zardari House Islamabad where they held discussions over the political situation and the key appointment.

Sources claimed that during the meeting, Dar conveyed PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s special message to the PPP’s co-chairman.

Dar also held a separate meeting with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the federal capital in which he conveyed Nawaz Sharif’s message to him.

‘Name of new army chief to be revealed by next week’

Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that the name of the new army chief will be announced by Wednesday by agreement between Pakistan Army and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Speaking to a private TV channel, the defence minister said that the process of appointing a new army chief will start rolling on Monday and hopefully the new army chief’s name will be revealed by next week.

The defence minister said that the PTI chief Imran Khan was the one who was making the process controversial and casting “aspersions” on the candidates for the next army chief.

His statement came after Imran Khan alleged that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif wanted to influence the appointment of the next army chief.

The PTI chief also suggested that the appointment of the new army chief should should be made like that of the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice.