Islamabad (HRNW) Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday dismissed that PML-N supremo had any role in the appointment of the new army chief as he iterated that it was the prerogative of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
While talking to media, he cast aside all rumors pertaining to deliberations in London between PM Shehbaz and party head Nawaz Sharif over the key appointment.
Asif clarified that only PM Shehbaz was to decide who would be the new chief of army staff (COAS) after retirement of General Bajwa.
He said, “The appointment and deliberations over the matter is the prerogative of the country’s prime minister.”
As to who would be the next one, the minister responded, “No decision has been taken so far.”
Answering a question if deliberations over any name have started, he said nothing has initiated yet.
Reacting to Imran Khan’s statement in which he had back stepped from his US conspiracy narrative, Asif said it was not the first time PTI chairman had retracted from his words, recalling he had done that several times.
He said Imran said many things during his four-years tenure but nothing was materialized.
He also bashed Imran on his statement regarding the first information report (FIR) of Wazirabad incident. The minister said, “This man (Imran Khan) does not know what he says.”