It’s almost time for the govt to take one of the toughest decisions of its tenure – who to appoint as Pakistan’s next army chief.
A senior PML-N leader and member of the federal cabinet hinted behind-the-scenes talks, saying Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif could start talks on the appointment by the end of August and possibly by mid-September.
The general impression is that he will consult his allies in the ruling coalition before taking a final decision.
PPP source said the party may not want to be part of the decision because it It is the discretionary power of the Prime Minister to take the decision.
According to Article 243(3) of the Constitution, the President appoints the Chiefs of Services on the recommendation of the PM.
Schedule 5-A of the Rules of Business specifies the cases to be submitted to the PM for the approval of the Chief of Army Staff, in accordance with a Lieutenant General in the Army or an equivalent rank in the Defense Services is appointed by the PM, in consultation with the President.
However, the statute book does not explain in much detail how this process works, nor does it set any specific criteria for promotion to an officer’s rank other than the vague condition that the army general selected for leadership must have commanded a corps.
Traditionally, the GHQ sends a list of four to five senior lieutenant generals, along with their personal files, to the Ministry of Defence.
Defence Ministry forwards them to the Prime Minister to select the officer for the post.