Pakistan President Arif Alvi on Tuesday said that there was no harm in appointing the next army chief before the expiry of the incumbent's term, local media reported.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who was given an extension by the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in 2019, is scheduled to leave his position on November 29 when his second three-year tenure comes to an end.
During an interaction with mediapersons in Islamabad, Alvi was asked about his thoughts on the possibility of the appointment being made ahead of time, to which, the president indicated he would not object to any such move.
"In my opinion, there is no harm in making the army chief's appointment ahead of time," he said according to a report in the country's Dawn newspaper.
Alvi said he believed that a "clear mandate" for governance was very important and the results of any investigation on the diplomatic cable -- at the centre of the crisis -- should be brought before the public.
With the race for the appointment of Pakistan's new Army chief on, there is also a possibility that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is constitutionally permitted to select the chief, will not a very active role as the Army often calls the shots on key appointments in the country.
The Pakistani Army often decides on who will be the new Army chief, but also on all activities relating to the government. The Army remained neutral on the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan but now it seems to be taking a U-turn and getting back to its old game.
There are also reports that the Army would play a dominant role in the new appointment as the civilian government is under much pressure due to a crumbling economy.
The influence of the Pakistani Army was evident when Major General Babar Iftikhar, Director General, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) at a media briefing on 14 April said that Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa and Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum, DG ISI were approached by the Prime Minister's Office when an appointment related 'deadlock' was on.
The recent shift in the national politics of Pakistan was widely reported as power play between Imran Khan and the country's powerful military establishment.
Lt Gen Faiz Hameed was widely expected to replace Bajwa but got replaced in October by Lt General Nadeem Ahmad Anjum against Imran Khan's wishes. Khan became the first Prime Minister in Pakistan's history to be ousted from power after losing a no-confidence vote in the country's Parliament.
Khan was later charged with blasphemy on April 28 after his supporters allegedly hounded the new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia's Madina on the same day.
( With inputs from ANI )
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