Asif Ali Zardari criticises attempts to politicise COAS appointment

ISLAMABAD: Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has criticised the ongoing attempts from the opposition to politicising the appointment process of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), ARY News reported on Friday.

Asif Ali Zardari said in a statement that the reputation of the institution will be damaged by politicising the COAS appointment process.

He said that they fully believe in the promotion mechanism of the Pakistan Army and the prime minister will make the COAS appointment in accordance with the law.

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It is noteworthy to mention here that Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman held telephonic conversation to hold consultations over the COAS appointment.

In another important statement today, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif unveiled the timeframe for the appointment process of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

While talking to a private news channel, Khawaja Asif said that the appointment process of the new COAS will start on Monday and be complete in the next week.

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He said that the new army chief will be announced on Tuesday or Wednesday while a ceremony will be held on November 29.

He criticised former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan for allegedly making the COAS appointment process controversial. Asif detailed that the prime minister will appoint the new COAS as per the summary of the defence ministry.

The defence minister added that the name of the new COAS will be decided with the consensus of the political and military leadership.

Khawaja said that there is no confusion in the appointment process that Imran Khan is trying to create nor there is any deadlock. He clarified that the prime minister has power to appoint the new COAS but he takes decisions after holding consultations with the institutions.