ISLAMABAD: The appointment of Pakistan’s next army chief after General Qamar Javed Bajwa retired in November became another potential minefield in the country’s politics after former PM and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief. Imran Khan announced that he would not allow his predecessor Nawaz Gentry and former President Asif Ali zardari To choose one of your choice, whatever it may be.
Addressing a rally in North West’s Peshawar late Tuesday night. Imran defended his previous stance on the issue. Last Sunday, he accused the Sharif and Zardari duo of trying to bring in an army chief of their choice to save their “robbed assets”.
The remarks landed him in a controversy, drawing condemnation from various circles. The army’s media wing issued a statement saying it was shocked by the defamatory and unnecessary remarks about the senior leadership of the organization.
To avoid any backlash to the army’s response, Imran accused his political rivals of distorting his statements to pit his party against the army and the judiciary. “They are first planning to disqualify me and then spreading propaganda against me to Pakistan’s institutions including the judiciary,” he alleged.
The former PM said, “Sharif is a convict and absconding. We will not allow a fugitive to be elected as the new army chief. The new chief should be appointed on the basis of merit.” He said that institutions become strong only when the appointments are made on the basis of merit.
Responding to the allegations of the coalition government, Imran said that those who were calling him anti-military, he himself targeted the institutions of Pakistan, including Pakistan.
Military, in the past.
Referring to the so-called “don leaks” on national security, the PTI chairman said that Sharif and his brother, PM Shahbaz Sharif, had sent a message to India that Pakistan’s military was supporting terrorism even though they had no role in it. . Similarly, the deposed prime minister said, Zardari had asked the US through the then Pakistani ambassador to Washington, Hussain Haqqani, to protect his government from the military.
“Should we allow such miscreants (Sharif, Zardari) to make such important appointments? No, we never will,” he said.
Imran played videos of ruling Pakistan Democratic (PDM) leaders, especially Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, to show that he had criticized the army in the past.
In an effort to placate the mighty military establishment, the former PM said, “My criticism of the Pakistani Army is constructive. The army is mine. This country is mine. The stability of the state is guaranteed only when the institutions are strong.”
He also played an old video of himself speaking in favor of the army during a public meeting.
“When the army is strong, the whole country is strong and we enjoy freedom,” he said, a statement described by his opponents as his latest U-turn.
Addressing a rally in North West’s Peshawar late Tuesday night. Imran defended his previous stance on the issue. Last Sunday, he accused the Sharif and Zardari duo of trying to bring in an army chief of their choice to save their “robbed assets”.
The remarks landed him in a controversy, drawing condemnation from various circles. The army’s media wing issued a statement saying it was shocked by the defamatory and unnecessary remarks about the senior leadership of the organization.
To avoid any backlash to the army’s response, Imran accused his political rivals of distorting his statements to pit his party against the army and the judiciary. “They are first planning to disqualify me and then spreading propaganda against me to Pakistan’s institutions including the judiciary,” he alleged.
The former PM said, “Sharif is a convict and absconding. We will not allow a fugitive to be elected as the new army chief. The new chief should be appointed on the basis of merit.” He said that institutions become strong only when the appointments are made on the basis of merit.
Responding to the allegations of the coalition government, Imran said that those who were calling him anti-military, he himself targeted the institutions of Pakistan, including Pakistan.
Military, in the past.
Referring to the so-called “don leaks” on national security, the PTI chairman said that Sharif and his brother, PM Shahbaz Sharif, had sent a message to India that Pakistan’s military was supporting terrorism even though they had no role in it. . Similarly, the deposed prime minister said, Zardari had asked the US through the then Pakistani ambassador to Washington, Hussain Haqqani, to protect his government from the military.
“Should we allow such miscreants (Sharif, Zardari) to make such important appointments? No, we never will,” he said.
Imran played videos of ruling Pakistan Democratic (PDM) leaders, especially Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, to show that he had criticized the army in the past.
In an effort to placate the mighty military establishment, the former PM said, “My criticism of the Pakistani Army is constructive. The army is mine. This country is mine. The stability of the state is guaranteed only when the institutions are strong.”
He also played an old video of himself speaking in favor of the army during a public meeting.
“When the army is strong, the whole country is strong and we enjoy freedom,” he said, a statement described by his opponents as his latest U-turn.