ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) has termed the speculations about extension in service of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif as baseless, and said he will retire on due date.
General Raheel Sharif has to retire in November 2016 following the completion of three-year term. However, it was expected that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could grant an extension to the COAS.
In a series of tweets on Monday, the Director General ISPR Lt. General Asim Saleem Bajwa said that General Raheel will retire on the due date and all speculations about extension in his service are baseless.
“Pakistan Army is a great institution. I don’t believe in extension,” General Raheel Sharif was quoted as saying by the DG ISPR.
The COAS said that Pakistan’s national interest is supreme and will be safe guarded at all costs. He also said that efforts to root out terrorism will continue with full vigor and resolve.
Speculations about extension in service of COAS are baseless.COAS said;”Pakistan Army is a great institution.I dont believe in extension-1/3
— AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) January 25, 2016
and will retire on the due date.Efforts to route out terrorism will continue with full vigor and resolve-2/3
— AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) January 25, 2016
Pakistan’s national interest is supreme and will be safe guarded at all costs.”-3/3 — AsimBajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) January 25, 2016
Earlier in the day, Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi filed a petition in the Supreme Court in which he called for extension in tenure of General Raheel Sharif.
The petitioners argued that General Raheel Sharif should be allowed to continue as the army chief as since the beginning of his tenure, terror-related incidents have substantially been reduced across the country as well as law and order situation has improved.
Mehmood Naqvi argued that the country is facing several threats as well as an operation to end corruption is in progress, therefore General Raheel should be offered a three-year extension in his service.
