Pakistan’s COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa says army to remain ‘apolitical’, not seeking another extension in tenure

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday said he would not seek another extension in his tenure, which ends on November 29, asserting that the army had decided to remain “apolitical”.

He made these remarks while addressing a security workshop in Islamabad. The army chief said the military had decided to distance itself from the country’s politics and remain “apolitical”.

This is not the first time Gen Bajwa has addressed the matter of his extension and the army’s intent to distance itself from politics. Earlier this month during a visit to the United States, he had confirmed he would not be seeking another extension to his tenure while speaking at a lunch at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington.

During that gathering, Gen Bajwa had also said the armed forces had distanced themselves from politics and wanted to remain so.

Earlier in April, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Maj-Gen Babar Iftikhar had also made it clear that Gen Bajwa was neither seeking an extension nor would he accept it. Gen Bajwa’s statement came the same day the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified former premier and PTI Chairman Imran Khan from being a member of parliament, finding him guilty of mis-declaration in the Toshakhana reference. – News Agencies