New COAS: PM House receives summary from defence ministry

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister House on Monday received a summary from defence ministry regarding the appointment of a new chief of army staff (COAS) and chairman joints chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC), ARY News reported, citing well-placed sources.

The term of the incumbent COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa is ending on Nov 29.

The names of senior army officers on basis of seniority and eligibility criteria are included in the list, sources said. Detailed profiles of the officers are also included in the summary.

Earlier in the day, sources in the defence ministry told ARY News that the summary for the appointment of the new army chief and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee would reach PM House and PM Shehbaz Sharif is expected to sign the summary today on the basis of seniority.

Furthermore, it emerged that the appointment of the new COAS and the CJCSC will be done on the same today.

Khawaja Asif in his statement had said that the appointment process will start on Monday while the new chief will be appointed on Tuesday or Wednesday.

On November 19, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, while talking to a private news channel, said that the appointment process of the new COAS will start on Monday.

He said that the new army chief would 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.