Pakistan: Reiterating his demand for early general elections, former Prime Minister Imran Khan in September said General Bajwa should be given one more extension until a new government is elected.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Haqiqi Azadi March is going on and today is the fourth day of this march. During his march, Khan on Sunday disclosed ongoing talks with the Pakistan Army to resolve the political crisis. According to a Dawn report, he said talks are underway with the army to resolve the political crisis that has emerged in the country since the ouster of the PTI government through a trust vote in April. Imran Khan’s comments came in response to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s statement, in which he claimed that the current government has completely rejected Imran Khan’s proposal to appoint a successor to Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Read international news here.
The prime minister said on Saturday that Khan had offered talks with the government about a month ago through a mutual business friend to resolve two issues, one related to the appointment of the army chief and the other to holding early elections. Bajwa, 61, who got a three-year extension, is set to retire on November 29. Bajwa was appointed in 2016, but after a three-year term in 2019, the then Imran Khan-led government extended his service for another three years.
Demand for early elections
Reiterating his demand for early general elections, former prime minister Khan in September said General Bajwa should be given one more extension until a new government is elected. At the same time, following criticism for his anti-army remarks, Imran Khan said on Sunday that his party wants the Pakistan Army to be "stronger" and that his criticism was not intended to harm the powerful forces. Addressing supporters on the third day of his Haqqi Azadi March, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Khan took on his opponents over alleged corruption.
Khan said his criticism of the army was constructive. He said, 'I want the army to be strong. We need a strong army. My constructive criticism is not meant to hurt them.' Khan also clarified that he was being misunderstood, days after the government criticized him for his anti-military stance. Khan also denied false claims by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif that the opposition leader had sent him a message expressing his desire to consult on the appointment and election of the army chief. "Shehbaz Sharif, you have made a statement that I have sent you a message that we should sit together and take a decision on the army chief," Khan said.
Targeted at PM Shahbaz
Responding to Shahbaz, Khan further questioned, 'What is the use of talking to you? What do you want to talk about? The way you were brought to power, first you begged Americans, then you hid in the trunk of a car and then polished your shoes,” Khan said, reiterating his party's demand for free and fair elections. “We just want to be fair and transparent. We will accept the election and the decision taken by the people of Pakistan.
