In a “day or two,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will name a new head of the armed forces. Rana Sanaullah

The new head of the army would be officially announced “in a day or two” by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The interior minister thinks it’s inappropriate to prolong the appointment any longer.
According to Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the PPP, the PPP has a firm faith in the Pakistan Army’s internal promotion system.
KARACHI: On Friday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that PM Shehbaz Sharif has concluded consultations over the appointment of the new army leader and that an announcement regarding the replacement for Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa would be made in a “day or two.”

Sanaullah stated on the Geo News show “Naya Pakistan” that the next army chief’s name will be released within a couple of days.

As of November 29th, Gen. Bajwa, the current commander in chief, will retire.

The interior minister dropped a hint by saying, “Just formal announcement is yet to be made,” suggesting the name for the coveted post has been finalized.

He insisted that the prime minister has ultimate say over who heads the armed forces and that he would make a decision on the matter soon.

It is not, in his view, prudent to postpone the appointment any longer.

As for the army’s promotion system, Zardari says his PPP party supports it.
However, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has stated that his party is firm in its support of the Pakistan Army’s internal promotion system.

Zardari made these comments after PTI leader Imran Khan proposed appointing the military chief of staff in the same manner as the top justice of the Supreme Court. The leader of the PTI party had been advocating for the selection of the army chief to be based on performance.

The PPP chief issued a statement saying that all three-star generals are on an even playing field and have what it takes to lead the armed forces. He further said, “The next army chief would be appointed by the prime minister in accordance with the law.”

The previous president has stated that the selection of the army chief should not be politicized under any circumstances, since doing so will have negative consequences for the institution.

Choosing a new COAS should be done in a non-political manner: PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain also argued that the selection of the army chief should be decided independently of politics.

Upon his return from Saudi Arabia, he addressed the media and stressed the need of following the constitutional and legal guidelines for the appointment of the army chief.

The top leader warned his colleagues to avoid using terminology that might make the appointment seem controversial. He requested that the politicians refrain from further discussion of the issue.

The PML-Q leader said, “Politics is the name of prudence but not of hostility.”