COAS Qamar Bajwa says will retire next month, not seeking extension

Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday quashed rumours around his resignation, and said that he will step down on schedule in November 2022 and “will not seek an extension.”

“I will retire in five weeks and this is my last address to the National Security Workshop,” he said to a group of senior journalists. “I will not seek an extension.”

He also said that the Pakistan Army will not meddle in the political affairs of the country.

Bajwa’s tenure is set to end on November 29 and the government will be tasked with appointing the new chief of army staff for Pakistan.

The government has announced that the appointment of Bajwa’s successor will be made in due course and according to the Constitution.

Appointment of COAS is done on merit, says Asif

Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had said that the process would either start by the end of this month or the beginning of the next. Asif added that it is the discretion of the sitting prime minister to choose from the names forwarded by the Defence Ministry.

Speaking on the appointment of the army chief on the basis of seniority, the defence minister said: “All three-star generals are eligible for this.” The defence minister; however, said that in the past, names other than the five suggested have also been chosen for the military chief’s position.

The defence minister also said the armed forces are the defenders of Pakistan’s frontiers and security. He said they are not meant to safeguard the interests of an individual person on his wishes.