Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government may hold elections before the new Chief of Army Staff is appointed in November.
Sitting for an interview with BBC Urdu, he said that there is a possibility that the caretaker government will leave by November, and a new government will come into power, saying “It could be anyone.”
These statements came in response to the interviewer’s insinuation that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson and former prime minister Imran Khan’s government had been replaced because of the appointment of the new army chief.
وزیر دفاع خواجہ آصف کا بی بی سی کو دیا گیا مکمل انٹرویو اب سے کچھ دیر بعد ہمارے فیس بک اور یوٹیوب چینل پر نشر کیا جائے گا#Khawajaasif #government #armychief #elections #BBCUrdu pic.twitter.com/HLGszm3VDh
— BBC News اردو (@BBCUrdu) May 11, 2022
The interviewer then asked if the appointment of the new chief landed on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and if the list of potential candidates for the position of COAS included Gen. Faiz Hameed, would Shehbaz Sharif consider him?
The defence minister replied and said that if his name was on the list of seniority, then it would absolutely be considered. “All those names recommended by GHQ would be considered.”
When asked to comment on PML-N’s past accusations leveled against Gen Faiz Hameed at the time of Nawaz Sharif’s ouster, the Asif said that it was unfortunate that their politics were “dragged into these things” or that their past experiences led to the “crossing of red lines”.
However, he said that whatever happened last month in April, referring to the vote of no-confidence against Imran Khan, served as a fresh start for everyone to operate neatly within the red lines prescribed by the Constitution.
Khawaja Asif also said that the writ of Khan’s government had been decreasing, and people associated with him had been acquiring wealth, and that Khan’s own financial background was very questionable, which is why the Pakistan Democratic Movement had come into being and decided to take action.
Asif acknowledged that they had taken a political risk by intervening before Khan’s term was up, but he said it was imperative for them to intervene and get him removed before he did ‘irreparable damage’.
