COAS' tenure extension: PTI, coalition partners on same page, says FM Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday said that coalition partners in the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) led federal government were on the same page over the extension in tenure of the incumbent Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, ARY NEWS reported.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the foreign minister applauded the apex court decision on the extension of the army chief and said that the constitution was clear in the matter giving complete authority of appointment to the chief executive that is the prime minister under article 243.

“There is no confusion and the Parliament has also given its opinion on it before,” he said, rejecting any changes to the constitution.

However, the foreign minister said any amendment in the army rules and regulations could be mulled over if required.

The cabinet under the prime minister will go through the matter, addressing all loopholes, he said.

Assuring of support from all the coalition parties on the issue, the PTI leader further hoped for a positive approach on the COAS extension and the election commission-related matters from the opposition parties.

Qureshi further said that he was in touch with the country’s defence authorities over foreign affairs-related issues and they have never imposed their view point on him.

Earlier, the foreign minister also took the parliamentary groups of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and other coalition parties into confidence over the steps taken by the prime minister.

The foreign minister chaired a meeting of the federal lawmakers from PTI and other coalition parties including Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan Nationalist Party (BNP-Mengal), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and others at the Parliament House.

The foreign minister took the parliamentary group into the confidence over measures taken from the incumbent government. The parliamentary party applauded the steps from the prime minister and expressed their complete support towards the incumbent government.

“The parties expressed their complete confidence over the leadership and the decisions taken by the prime minister,” they said.