ISLAMABAD: Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif clarified his statement regarding holding early elections in November, saying it was taken out of context and the government will focus on electoral reforms.
Speaking on a private news channel, Asif said he agrees with PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s statement that elections should be held before electoral reforms.
He said that there is no disagreement regarding reforms among the coalition parties and the government would hold elections after consultations with allies. He went on to say that the elections will be held after legislation.
Khawaja Asif said that important decisions regarding the economic situation would be taken soon and there is no time for political decisions. He said an emergency situation on the economic front at the moment and the government is ready to make difficult decisions.
He added the government will decide when to hold the elections once the economic situation has been taken care of. Asif said the government would decide about the appointment of the next army chief.
Elections before Nov
Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the possibility of holding general elections prior to the appointment of a new army chief cannot be ruled out.
In an interview, the PML-N stalwart said there is a possibility that the caretaker government will leave before November and a new government will come into power.
“It is possible that we hold elections before the [new] army chief’s appointment, before November. There will be a caretaker government at that time. It is also possible that the caretaker government is gone and the new government is [in power] before November.”
Incumbent Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa will remain in office till November 29 this year, after his three-year tenure was extended in 2019.
READ MORE: Elections before new army chief’s appointment possible: Khawaja Asif
In response to a question about whether the coalition government could give the incumbent COAS another extension, Asif said Gen Bajwa had already announced that he does not want his tenure to be extended. “I welcome his decision as it has closed the door on speculations,” he added.
The defence minister said he welcomed the announcement because it had “closed the doors of speculation” and noted that the previous army chief, General (retd) Raheel Sharif, too, had not demanded an extension.
Khawaja Asif said he believed the process for appointing an army chief should be “institutionalised” similar to the judiciary. “There is no speculation about [a chief justice]. I know who will become the chief justice in 2028.”
“In my personal opinion, instead of discussing the matter of the army chief’s appointment, the process should 100 percent be based on merit. This is a big and very important issue, it should never be the subject of political debate,” he added.
Responding to a question, the minister said the name of Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed will also be considered if is also on the seniority list. He criticised former prime minister Imran Khan for attempting to appoint a new army chief of his choice.
