Pakistan PM Sharif Says He Rejected Imran Khan's Proposal On New Army Chief's Appointment

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif turned down Imran Khan's request for the appointment of a successor to the Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif

New Delhi: The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, said that he rejected PTI chief Imran Khan's request over the appointment of a successor to the Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

General Bajwa is on a three-year extension. He will be retiring on November 29, 2022. He was initially appointed in 2016 however, the then regime of Imran Khan extended his service for another three years. 

Imran Khan in September while reiterating the call for early elections, said that General Bajwa should be given another extension at least until the new government is elected.

PM Shehbaz Sharif while talking to bloggers in his first-ever such meeting, said that Imran Khan offered talks with the government a month ago via a mutual businessman friend, in order to resolve two issues. One of the issues was the appointment of the army chief and the other was holding early elections, reported Express Tribune.

PM Sharif said: “Imran had suggested that we give him three names and he gives three names for the post of army chief and then we decide on the appointment of the new chief from those six names.”

He further mentioned, “If there is a common name in both the lists, then we will agree. However, I flatly refused Imran Khan’s offer by saying 'thank you'.” 

“I have offered Imran Khan to discuss the Charter of Democracy and Charter of Economy. Imran Khan is currently targeting the Army leadership only to fulfill his personal desires. He (Imran Khan) is now spewing poison against those who nurtured him. No one is safe from his mischief,” the Pakistan Prime Minister added.

Until recently, the strong army, which has dominated the coup-prone nation for more than half of its 75-year history, had significant influence over security and foreign affairs.

Last week, Khan acknowledged that during the opposition's effort to overthrow his government in March, he had offered to extend the term of Army commander Bajwa.

Notably, in an unusual press conference on Thursday, Pakistan's ISI commander, Lt Gen Nadeem Najum, claimed that the army chief had received a "lucrative offer" for an indefinite extension of his tenure in March.