Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has created a new controversy by making “defamatory” statements on the appointment of the new military chief.
Addressing a rally in Faisalabad in the Punjab province on Sunday, Imran accused the government of trying to appoint a “favourite” as the next army chief, reports Aljazeera.
The tenure of the current chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa ends in November this year.
He was given an extension in August 2019 when Khan was the prime minister.
In a statement on Monday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said it was “aghast” at the remarks, calling them “defamatory and uncalled for”.
The military leadership has carried out a “decades-long impeccable meritorious service to prove its patriotic and professional credentials beyond any doubt”, it added.
The statement also reads, “Politicising the senior leadership of Pakistan Army and scandalising the process of selection of the COAS (chief of army staff) is neither in the interest of the state of Pakistan nor of the institution.”
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
