Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has rejected reports that the Pakistan Army and the federal government have reached an agreement on the appointment of the next chief of army staff (COAS) and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee (CJSC).
Asif told reporters that the Prime Minister House is yet to receive a summary from the Pakistan Army and the names will be finalized only after the institution moves the summary.
He did say that the process almost under way and there was no deadlock over the issue, but added that reports that surfaced in the morning — about an agreement — were not true.
Asif said the summary could be moved by Tuesday and the names would be selected by November 25.
In a tweet, Asif confirmed that the ‘process’ had started and will be completed soon according to the procedure laid down in the Constitution.
Earlier, Aaj News’ Naveed Akbar said that an agreement had been reached and the prime minister had summoned the defense ministry officials to the Prime Minister House. The names of the next COAS and CJSC could be announced soon, he said.
PMLN leaders Afnanullah and Attaullah Tarar confirmed that a summary had been received by the Prime Minister House containing the names of five senior generals, Aaj News reported.
The two positions fall vacant by November 29.
Hours before the report of the agreement surfaced, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the name of the next COAS will be announced long before Imran Khan stages his November 26 protest in Rawalpindi.
The protest planned by Khan in the garrison city of Rawalpindi is significant given that the city hosts the Pakistan Army headquarters. But it also has another meaning: Rawalpindi falls within the Punjab province, controlled by PTI, and away from the jurisdiction of the federal capital Islamabad which is under the federal government of PMLN.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif made it clear over the weekend that the process for the appointment of the next COAS will begin on Monday with the Pakistan Army moving a summary to the defense ministry containing the names of senior three-star generals.
The summary then lands at the Prime Minister’s House, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif selects one name from the list sent by the Army. However, Shehbaz also has the authority to send back the summary and ask the current COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to reconsider it and/or include a name he wants to see on the list, but this is not likely to happen. Khawaja Asif has already said that the name will be selected from the summary moved by the army.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told Geo News on Monday that the decision on the key appointment will be announced much before Khan’s November 26 protest.
He said never before in the history of Pakistan was such a controversy created around the appointment of a COAS.
Sanaullah said that Imran Khan’s planned protest would be the smallest in the history of Rawalpindi.
The second phase of Imran Khan’s long march ended at Rawat outside Rawalpindi on Saturday, November 19 with Imran Khan urging the supporters to gather in Rawalpindi on November 26.
Until then protests have effectively stopped and preparations for the November 26 showdown are said to have begun.
The PTI is seeking permission from authorities to hold a protest at Faizabad, the junctions of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan is holding meetings at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. He speaks to groups of journalists almost every day.
During a similar conversation on Sunday, Imran Khan claimed that the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance has approached him for talks.
Imran Khan claimed that the PDM government relayed messages through President Alvi to him and the PTI, but he was not ready to sit with the government till the announcement of fresh elections — a long-held demand of the former premier.
Alvi and Ishaq Dar met last week to sort out the issue of the COAS appointment.
PTI’ Shah Mahmood Qureshi told Hum News TV Sunday night that President Arif Alvi —who is from the PTI — will not block the summary of the next COAS.
After the prime minister approves the COAS, the summary is sent to the president who is bound to accord his approval to every summary moved by the PM House under the constitution of Pakistan.
