New COAS: Khawaja Asif unveils timeframe for appointment process

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has unveiled the timeframe for the appointment process of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), ARY News reported on Friday.

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.

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.

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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.

On November 15, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had rejected the rumours about a deadlock on the shortlisted names’ and the exact time of the appointment process for the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

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While talking to journalists outside the Parliament House building, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was questioned about the rumoured deadlock on the COAS name between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

To this, Asif responded, “How can a deadlock be created without even starting the consultation process for the appointment of new COAS?” He added that consultations for the COAS appointment will be held after November 18 or 19.

He further clarified that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has no favourite name for the COAS appointment. Asif said that consultations will only be held on the shortlisted names forwarded to the federal government by the Pakistan Army.

“Pakistan Army has not yet sent the shortlisted names for the army chief’s appointment.”

The defence minister slammed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and said that legal action should be taken against the recent statements of Imran Khan.