ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan has clarified that he did not talk about giving extension to Army Chief but suggested deferring new appointment till the next general elections.

Speaking to journalists here he said, “I have stated that position of Army Chief is very important. Appointment has to be done on merit. I will repeat time and again that it should be done on merit.”

He said neither Asif Ali Zardari nor Nawaz Sharif fulfilled criteria of merit to appoint new Army Chief, adding they both lacked moral ground to be part of such an important decision-making process.

“One is an absconder and convicted his wealth is stashed abroad he is imposed on us through a foreign conspiracy,” he had said. In conversation with journalists, Imran said that his proposal for extension of Army Chief’s tenure is “subject to announcement of early elections”.

“Appointment of Army Chief should be delayed until election of a new government,” he added.

PTI Chief said that ‘a few individuals have put national security at stake for their own vested interests. “It is also possible that I will reveal names of all those people,” he warned. Imran said he had always talked about for betterment of country. “I am standing with institutions that are standing with national interests”. He reiterated that no organisation can excel without merit and added that “Institution of Army is strong because it follows merit”.

On his much-hyped strategy to force incumbent government to call early elections, Imran said he will give final call to nation in this regard no later than September. “They government are baffled by my in-swinging yorker,” he said while using a cricket analogy. Imran said he was not in favour of delaying early elections till March next year. “Whoever goes against interest of Pakistan, I will stand against him. This ‘lame government’ is nothing without establishment. I don’t want anyone to harm country under guise of establishment,” he added.

He also called upon judiciary to create a merit-based mechanism for appointment of judges. Speaking about his controversial remarks involving military top brass, Imran said he did not understand why Inter-Services Public Relations issued a statement as he only said that “Army Chief should be appointed on merit”.

A day earlier, the former prime minister, while speaking during an interview with a private TV channel, had suggested that the appointment of an army chief should be deferred until the government is elected, which should then choose the new military head.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 14 2022

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