Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, on Friday said that he will not take an extension and retire after five weeks, reports local News.
The COAS, said that the army would not play any role in politics. Notably, Bajwa is set to retire on November 29 this year, and all eyes are focused on the appointment of the new army chief.
Earlier, Bajwa assured the nation that the armed forces have distanced themselves from politics and want to stay away from it in the future as well. He was given a three-year extension on November 29, 2019.
While addressing the gathering ,Bajwa said that he would leave after the completion of his second three-year term in two months.
There was speculation that he may get a second extension after a reported meeting between Bajwa and PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif in London.
Post the Bajwa-Sharif meeting, the current discussion on possible successors to Bajwa in November could take a new turn. The possible successors are: Corps Commander Rawalpindi, Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Lt Gen Azhar Abbas, Lt Gen Nauman Mahmood Raja, and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed.
It should be noted that Corps Commander Gujranwala Muhammad Amir, Corps Commander Multan Lt Gen Chiragh Haider, and ISI DG Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum Sheikh are likely to remain in the queue.
Moreover, the recent promotion of 12 major generals has set the stage for a major reshuffle in Pakistan’s top military brass.
The latest promotion was seen as one of the more consequential decisions by Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa ahead of his retirement, as the 12 promoted officers would form a major chunk of the team that the new chief would inherit in November.
It was rare to see such a large number of promotions to the rank of lieutenant general at one time. The promotions in the army had been overdue for almost a year, though these elevations are normally said to be based on vacancies.
The 12 newly-promoted generals would be taking up the positions vacated after retirement of three lieutenant generals in mid-October 2021.