It appears that despite supporting the then-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in passing the legislation in 2019, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has quite a difference of opinion in its ranks when it comes to extending the service tenure of the army chief.
On Saturday, senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi expressed his “personal opinion” on a TV programme, when he said that he was against the extension in the tenure of former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa granted in 2019.
On Sunday, in an interview with the same private TV channel, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed expressed similar sentiments.
Read Abbasi wants COAS extension amendment repealed
He unequivocally said that no service chief from the Pakistan armed forces should be given an extension, and an amendment in the Army Act 1952 should be introduced to curtail this practice.
He said that extensions led to unrest in the country, but admitted that “lack of extensions” had contributed to the ouster of governments in the past.
He cited the example of former premier Mohammad Khan Junejo who he said was removed because he did not promise an extension to the then-military dictator, late General Ziaul Haq.
He elaborated that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan were removed for the very same reason.
To a question, he also blamed the lack of consensus among the political class and the absence of “rules of the game” for the fact that no premier could complete their tenure in the country’s history.
To another question, he hinted that former premier Imran Khan was ousted from office the way he came to power.
Mushahid also remarked that the military’s claims of “neutrality” would be decided when the country experiences free and fair elections without any interference.
He added that he did not see general elections in the near future. He linked the postponement of the local government polls in Karachi and Islamabad with the same matter, hinting at people waiting for “favourable results”.
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