Pakistan: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said that we may hold elections before the appointment of the new Army Chief and then there will be a caretaker government before November. According to details, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif while giving an interview to BBC Urdu said that it is possible to hold elections before the appointment of a new army chief, the possibility of elections before the new chief of the army cannot be ruled out, and it’s on the card.
Regarding the extension of General Bajwa’s tenure, the Defense Minister said that General Bajwa has announced that he does not want to extend his tenure, I welcome the announcement as the announcement has closed the door to speculation. DG ISPR in a press briefing said to the journalists that “Qamar Bajwa does not need any extension”. Regarding the appointment of the Army Chief, he said that even though General Raheel Sharif had never demanded an extension of tenure, the procedure for appointment of the Army Chief should now be institutionalized, and the appointment of the Army Chief would be on merit.
He said that Imran Khan wanted to appoint the next Army Chief voluntarily, he wanted to ensure the continuity of his rule. Referring to General Faiz Hameed, Khawaja Asif said that if the name of General Faiz Hameed is included in the list, it would be considered. The Defense Minister further said that the Army has sanctity and it should not be a topic of discussion in the public domain and he said at the party level that names should not be mentioned, there is no possibility of defeat of his party in this war of words.
Khawaja Asif said that this experiment was done and it harmed the country. Today it does not suit Imran Khan that the institutions should become neutral, he wants to be in power and the institutions should provide him with crutches. Regarding Imran Khan’s statements, the Federal Minister said that the anti-establishment statement made by Imran Khan is shameful. In the last four years, everything has been revolving around one person’s caste. Yes, it is our duty to defend the army and we will.
He said that the military leadership was being targeted by Imran Khan in the name of military leadership. The military spokesman agreed that the army could not defend itself on public platforms. Khawaja Asif further said that if the judiciary and army cannot speak then we can speak legally and constitutionally, and we will defend these institutions.
Regarding foreign policy, the Defense Minister said that the focus of Pakistan’s foreign policy should now be on regional countries and relations with all countries except India should be improved. On the question of war between Russia and Ukraine, he said that Pakistan’s position on the issue of war between Russia and Ukraine is clear. ۔
Asked about the military bases, Khawaja Asif replied that no such demand was on the table yet, nor would Pakistan accept such a demand.
