After repeatedly calling for a consultative process before picking the new army chief of Pakistan, former Prime Minister Imran Khan now does not see any problem if the appointment is made by the incumbent Shehbaz Sharif-led government, the media reported.
In an interaction with journalists, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman offered a fresh take on the issue of appointing a new chief of army staff, reports Dawn news.
When asked whether he had demanded that the appointment of a new chief be made in consultation with him and/or his party, Khan said: "No... they can appoint whoever they want."
Earlier, in several public meetings and remarks made over the course of the past sev�eral months, Khan had declared that "the Sha�rifs and the Zardaris" were unfit to make the appointment to the top military slot on the basis that "thieves cannot be allowed to appoint the next army chief", Dawn reported.
But when a journalist asked the PTI chief on Tuesday whether incumbent army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was being given an extension, he responded with: "This is a billion-dollar question."
Khan also revealed that his relations with the military establishment became strained on the issue of "accountability", adding that the premier should be empowered if the country was to run smoothly.
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"I had no issue with the army. Problems only cropped up on accountability matters. However, the army can play a positive role. I believe if the country is to run smoothly, then the Prime Minister should also be given power along with the management," Dawn news quoted Khan as saying.
He was of the opinion that a coalition government had to make many compromises.
"The Prime Minister can be blackmailed in a coalition... a two-third majority gives strength to the premier," he added.
Talking to Dawn, a senior PTI leader also confirmed the impression that relations between Khan and the military leadership soured during the PTI government when the latter advised the Prime Minister to shift focus from accountability of opposition leaders to fixing the economy.
"Not budging from his stance, Imran Khan invited trouble," he added.
Suggestions being made to Pakistan govt to convince COAS to continue
While Pakistan Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has clearly stated that he is retiring by the end of this month and is not seeking an extension, certain elements are suggesting to the top PML-N leadership to let the incumbent COAS continue as is the desire of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Strangely, these elements hope the government will convince Gen Bajwa to continue, The News reported.
Last month, while addressing a security workshop in Islamabad, the army chief unambiguously said that he would not be seeking another extension and would be retiring by the end of November this year.
Informed sources said that the army chief, during the corps commanders meeting a few weeks ago, also took the top military commanders into confidence about his retirement plan.
Later, he spoke to the Prime Minister and informed him that he was not interested in an extension and would be retiring at the end of November.
Khan has been asking for the continuation of incumbent army chief until the new elections and coming into power of the newly-elected government.
He believes that the next elected government should appoint the new army chief and that the present government and the incumbent Prime Minister have no right to make the topmost military appointments, The News reported.
Even on Tuesday, when Khan was asked by reporters whether Gen Bajwa would get an extension, he said that it was a million-dollar question.
The elements influencing the prime minister and PML-N's top leadership are thought to be among the well-connected acquaintances.
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According to sources, the suggestion given to the premier and his party leadership is to convince the incumbent army chief to get an extension, dissolve the government and dissolve the National Assembly to pave the way for an interim government, which should continue for six to seven months for stabilisation of economy and politics.
Later, elections would be held and the PMLN would have a fair playing field for the next elections, The News reported.
The PML-N, however, said "no" to these options.
