COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa announces to retire in 5 weeks
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday announced his retirement from the country’s highest militant post saying, “I’ll not take extension,”
The COAS expressed these views while addressing a security workshop in Islamabad. According to a journalist who participated in the workshop, the Army Chief said that the army has decided to remain non-political.
“The army will no longer play a role in politics,” General Qamar Javed Bajwa said.
General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s statement has come at a time when the ECP disqualified PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the case related to the concealment of financial assets in the Toshakhana reference.
This is not the first time that the Army Chief has made a clear statement regarding his extension.
In April this year, DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar had said that, “General Qamar Javed Bajwa will neither take nor accept the extension.”
This statement of ISPR came a day after the successful no-confidence motion against Imran Khan which caused the ouster of him from the premier’s office.
These statements by the military leadership came at a time when the army has been widely accused of meddling in politics and favoring one political party.
The appointment of the next army chief has also sometimes been cited as crucial to the current political turmoil as it is believed that relations between the army and Imran Khan have soured over the appointment of a new ISI chief.
Imran Khan, after being ousted from power by a no-confidence motion, has been publicly criticizing the army and advising them to remain neutral, accusing them of interfering in the country’s politics.
However, in this regard, Imran Khan said that he criticized constructively for the betterment of the state institutions.
