Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam has said that the new army chief should have an impeccable record without any aspersions, judgement, or suspicion.
Responding to a question asking her to comment on Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s recent statement about how the PML-N government would fairly consider Gen. Faiz Hameed if his name came up in the seniority list for the new army chief, she said that the chief of army staff (COAS) should be an honorable and free of any rumors of ill-reputation.
Khawaja Asif had, on Wednesday, given an interview to the BBC where he was asked by the interviewer if Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would consider former ISI director general, Gen. Faiz Hameed for the position of the new army chief after current COAS Gen. Bajwa retires in November.
Asif had responded and said that Sharif would absolutely consider him if his name came up on the list of nominees.
“The nation looks towards the army for the unity and security of Pakistan. So it is crucial that the army chief is someone who is worthy and free of stains, so that people salute the Pakistan Army,” she said, adding that the army is a respectable institution.
Previously, during a PML-N rally in Fateh Jang last week, she had responded to Imran Khan’s comment from his podcast appearance, where he said that Gen. Faiz was the “eyes and the ears” of his government.
“We know that he wasn’t your eyes and ears, in fact, he was actually your hands through which you throttled your political opponents,” she said, criticizing Khan and Hameed.
اگر پاکستان کی افواج نے فیصلہ کیا ہے کہ وہ اپنے آپکو اپنے آئینی رول تک محدود رکھیں گے تو اس کی تو تعریف کی جانی چاہیے.اس آئینی رول سے صرف ایک انسان کو تکلیف ہے جس کو چیٹنگ کی عادت پڑ گئی ہے.جس کے پاس اپنے پاؤں نہیں ہیں کھڑے ہونے کیلیے.@MaryamNSharif pic.twitter.com/u96IziShF7
— PML(N) (@pmln_org) May 12, 2022
During her talk today, Maryam also said that if the military had really decided to stay away from politics and stop interfering, then this was something that should be applauded.
“There is only one person who has an issue with this new arrangement, because he is someone who has gotten used to cheating and getting support, and that person is Imran Khan,” she said.
