Pak Army says Gen Bajwa to retire in Nov

FE Team | Published: April 16, 2022 00:11:51

The Pakistan Army, apparently ruffled by a vicious social media campaign against it, said on Thursday that it has "nothing to do with politics" and it will remain "apolitical", reports PTI from Islamabad.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) - the media wing of the Army- Director General Major General Babar Iftikhar also asserted that Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was not seeking an extension and will neither accept one.
Maj Gen Iftikhar said that Pakistan's survival lies solely on democracy and its strength lies in the institutions, be it Parliament, Supreme Court or the Armed forces.
The Pakistan Army has "nothing to do with politics" and the institution has decided to remain apolitical in the future as well, he said while addressing a press conference, three days after Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif was sworn-in as the new Prime Minister after prolonged political turmoil.
He clarified that Gen Bajwa was "unwell" on the day Sharif took office and had to skip the oath taking ceremony.
He said that instead of saying that the Army had been neutral, it was more appropriate to say that 'it is apolitical as per the constitutional requirement and demands made by various political parties' over the years.
"We have many security challenges and we cannot be involved in any other thing. If we can only handle the security challenges properly, it will be fine," he said.
He also made an announcement that Gen Bajwa "is neither seeking an extension nor will he accept an extension."
"No matter what, he will be retiring on the 29th of November 2022," the spokesman said.
He also rubbished the rumors about the threat of a martial law at the height of the recent political turmoil. "There will never be martial law in Pakistan."
To a question about opening of courts in the middle of night when the battle for the no-confidence vote was going on, he said that it was a decision by the courts and the army had nothing to do with it.
He also vehemently rejected the media reports about the visit of the army chief and the ISI chief to the PM House ahead of his decision to leave the official residence. "Totally untrue. Nobody went there. In the entire process, there was no interference by the army. Let me put this thing to rest," he stated.
Maj Gen Iftikhar said that there is no truth about the army chief having meetings with the opposition leaders in Pakistan or outside Pakistan in the days leading up to the no-confidence vote.