As Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure is about to come to an end, President Arif Alvi has said that "broader consultation" on the appointment of a new chief of army staff (COAS) should take place so that a consensus could be developed.
Alvi, who was elected during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan's tenure as Premier, made these remarks during an interview with Aaj TV, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Citing past precedents, Alvi said the opposition was consulted on the army chief's appointment. He contended that similar talks with the then-opposition was held when former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan extended the three-year term of General Bajwa in 2019.
"The law must have been introduced in the Parliament after closure was reached during a consultation," he was quoted as saying by Dawn.
During the interview, the Pakistan president also touched upon foreign conspiracy claims made by PTI chief Imran Khan.
Alvi said that he was not convinced that the United States had lodged a conspiracy to oust Imran.
Further talking about the country's all-powerful military, he said Pakistan the military had a constitutional role to play and the army should be 'neutral'.
Notably, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa recently assured Pakistan that the armed forces have distanced themselves from politics and want to stay away from it in the future as well.
Addressing the gathering during the lunch at Pakistani Embassy in Washington, Bajwa said that he will leave after the completion of his second three-year term in two months, Dawn reported.
He reminded the nation that reviving the country's ailing economy should be the first priority of all segments of society, adding that without a strong economy the nation would not be able to achieve its targets.
"There could be no diplomacy either without a strong economy," the Pakistan army chief said during his address to an audience which included a large number of Pakistani diplomats.
( With inputs from ANI )
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