Next general elections to be held as per schedule: Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said Wednesday that the next general elections will be held as per schedule, Radio Pakistan reported.

Talking to the media in Islamabad, he said it is the discretion of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to pick any name forwarded by the Ministry of Defence as the next army chief.

He said the appointment of the army chief will take place as per law and the Constitution.

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The defence minister said armed forces are the defenders of Pakistan's frontiers and security, stressing that they are not meant for safeguarding the interests of an individual.

Asif said the incumbent government voted out Imran Khan from power through the no-confidence motion as per the democratic process.

He alleged that Imran Khan, through his lies, was continuously misleading the nation. "Audio leaks of Imran Khan have exposed the foreign-conspiracy mantra," he said.

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The minister said it has been a long struggle of politicians that our institutions should remain neutral.

He said it seems strange that Imran Khan uses inappropriate language against state institutions for staying neutral.

Asif said, at present, the armed forces are fighting a low-intensity war against terrorism and the entire nation should stand behind the security agencies.