Next army chief will be appointed by next week: Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday that the process to appoint the next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) will be completed by next week.

“The process will begin on Monday, and hopefully, the decision on this whole matter will be before us by next week and the new army chief’s name will be revealed,” Khawaja Asif said in an interview with Geo News show ' Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath'.

He added that the name of the new army chief will be finalised after consultation with the military leadership.

Consultation on army chief’s appointment to begin after Nov 18 or 19: Khawaja Asif

He said it was very unfortunate that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan made such an important appointment controversial for his political gains.

“No politician has made the kind of allegations on the army leadership as Imran has.”

Asif’s statement comes hours after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the next army chief will be appointed in a “day or two.”

In an interview with Geo News, Sanaullah had said: “I believe the prime minister has completed this process (of consultation about the army chief appointment) and will bring it to paper, today or tomorrow or the next two days, [it] takes no time.”

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Upon further questioning, the interior minister seemingly reproached the interviewer and said: “I will also request you that this is a matter of a day or two so don’t ask questions which can lead to unnecessary speculation,” adding that in his opinion there “is not a lot of time left to this decision and it will come before you”.

Sanaullah said a further delay in the matter would not be “appropriate” and the next army chief would be appointed in the next two days.