COAS appointment: PM to send summary to President Alvi today

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will send a summary seeking the appointment of the new chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC) and the chief of army staff (COAS) to President Arif Alvi today, ARY News reported citing sources.

The well-placed sources said that President Arif Alvi will sign the summary today.

Meanwhile, talking to the newsmen after the meeting with the premier, Khawaja Asif said the legal process on the summary will take a day or two as the consultation was underway.

Khawaja Asif said that new army chief will likely be appointed before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Ankara visit.

In an informal talk with reporters hours after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed it had received the summary for the appointment of the chief of army staff (COAS) and the chairman joint chief of staff committee (CJCSC).

Replying to a question about the COAS’s appointment at seniority or at merit, the defense minister said he is unaware and the name will be finalized by tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that it has received the summary from the Ministry of Defence with a “panel of names” for the appointment of the new chief of army staff (COAS) and the chairman joint chief of staff committee (CJCSC).

“The prime minister will take a decision on the appointments as per the laid down procedure,” the early morning statement said.

Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR) yesterday confirmed that the General Headquarters (GHQ) forwarded the summary for the selection of the new chief of army staff (COAS) and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC).