ISLAMABAD: Following the Inter-Services Public Relations(ISPR) statement, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif verified that the Prime Minister’s Office has entered the summary for the appointment of the top two positions in the service.
“The Prime Minister’s Office has entered the summary from the Ministry of Defence”, the minister twittered.
سمری وزارت دفاع سے وزیراعظم آفس میں موصول ھو گئ. انشاءاللہ باقی مراحل بھی جلد طے ھو جائیں گے..
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) November 22, 2022
The defence minister’s tweet comes nearly an hour after the ISPR said Tuesday night that it had encouraged the summary to his ministry.
“GHQ has encouraged the summary for selection of CJCSC and COAS, containing names of six senior-most assistant general 411 to Ministry of Defence,” tweeted director general of the service’s media sect Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar.
GHQ has forwarded the summary for Selection of CJCSC and COAS, containing names of 6 senior most Lt Gens to MoD.
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) November 22, 2022
Govt refutes reports
The ISPR’s statement came twinkles after Asif had before categorically rejected the reports claiming that the PM’s Office had entered the important-awaited summary for the appointment of the new chief of army staff.
وزیراعظم کو ابھی سمری موصول نہیں ھوئ.. انشاءاللہ
سمری کی PMO میں وصولی کنفرم وقت پہ کی جاۓ گی..
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) November 22, 2022
Taking to Twitter, Asif said that the PM’s Office has not yet entered the summary. The PMO will admit the summary at the verified time.
‘Summary prepared’
before, sources had told The News that a summary has been prepared for the appointment of the new army chief and it’ll be entered by the PM’s Office any time.
Sources said that the names of sixs enior-most generals have been included in the summary of the army principal campaigners.
The summary includes the names of Lieutenant General Asim Munir, Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Lieutenant General Azhar Abbas, Lieutenant General Nauman Mehmood, Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid and Lieutenant General Mohammad Amir as campaigners for the army chief and president common chiefs of staff commission posts, said the well-placed sources.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb clarified that the statement attributed to Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif regarding a summary for appointing a new army chief was false.
The PMO has yet to admit the summary, she said and prompted the people not to presume about it. The people will be informed as soon as the PM’s office receives the summary, she added.
وزیر دفاع خواجہ آصف سے منسوب بیان درست نہیں
آرمی چیف کی تعیناتی سے متعلق سمری تاحال وزیراعظم ہاؤس میں موصول نہیں ہوئی، قیاس آرائیاں نہ کی جائیں
سمری موصول ہونے پر اطلاع دے دی جائے گی
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) November 22, 2022
When will army chief be appointed?
The important-awaited appointment of the coming army chief will be made in 48 hours, Asif assured before moment.
Asif said that nominating campaigners for the post of army chief is the appanage of the General Headquarters(GHQ).
Rejecting rumours, the minister said that there’s no civil-military pressure over the matter. “COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa respects Nawaz Sharif,” he added.
Source: Geo News
