Except one or two, all past military appointments on merit, Khawaja Asif claims

Islamabad: Except one or two cases, all past appointments in the military forces were on merit, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed on Wednesday.

The minister, who was addressing a press conference in Islamabad with Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, said the recommendations for the heads of the three military divisions -- army, navy and airforce -- were sent to the prime minister who made the decision after consultation with others.

Asif, who was commenting on PTI chairman Imran Khan’s recent comments about the appointment of the upcoming army chief, said the former premier had given a “new meaning” to his comments in Tuesday’s Peshawar rally.

“This is done as part of a well-considered strategy that first you attack and make institutions controversial and see the reaction and then say ‘I talked about merit’.”

The minister asked the PTI chief to tell when army appointments were not done on merit. “Our last appointment of the current army chief was endorsed by them [PTI]” Asif said.

Imran seldom might have praised anyone in the last three years as he did to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Asif said.

He alleged that Imran’s confidence in the army chief was so high that he didn't chair several important political meetings or security briefings himself and left them to General Bajwa to preside over.

The minister said as now that they [Imran Khan] no longer were in power, every person [of theirs] was attacking the military leadership and deliberately creating doubt and suspicion for the upcoming [army chief] appointment.”