PPP leader Nayyar Bokhari has said his party believes the extension granted to former army chief retired General Qamar Javed Bajwa was “not a mistake”.

While speaking to DawnNewsTV, Mr Bokhari said, “We don’t think it was a mistake,” he said while referring to the decision made by the government of former prime minister Imran Khan.

He went on to explain that the decision to extend the tenure of the former COAS in 2019 was taken in light of the security situation in Pakistan.

He said political parties – including the PP – had reached a consensus “in the national interest” to vote for the legislation that paved the way for the extension.

“The situation on our eastern and western borders has never been comfortable and in light of that, the PPP voted in the national interest for the legislation,” he said.

He mentioned that the “PPP gave an extension to another army chief previously as well,” referring to the extension granted to retired General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in 2010.

Khawaja Asif claims Imran wants to make army ‘controversial’

He added in his personal opinion the decision to give an extension to an army chief was the discretion of the chief executive and legislation was not needed for it.

General Bajwa, who retired last month, has been severely censured by PTI Chairman Imran Khan who accused him of granting “NRO” to the corrupt family members of the Sharifs and Zardaris while the PTI leaders have also called the extension “a mistake”.

Commenting on this criticism, the PPP leader said in the past Mr Khan used to praise the former army chief and now he is critical of him.

Mr Bokhari also said politicians need to be cautious when attempting to regain power from the army.

He said elected governments derive their powers from the Constitution in Pakistan but there are some issues on which politicians should “ponder” before making a decision.

“In democracies [all over the world] where powers were withdrawn from monarchies, it was done in phases,” he said, adding the civilian government should also take back power from the army gradually.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said former prime minister Khan attempted to make the national institutions controversial, but failed, APP adds.

Addressing his party’s workers’ convention in Sialkot on Sunday, the PML-N leader said Mr Khan’s biggest regret was that he could not get to select the army chief of his choice.

He claimed the former prime minister wanted to appoint an army chief who would allow him to rule for another 10 years.

He added the PTI chairman destroyed the economy during his government and today people were suffering due to his failed policies.

The minister said the incumbent government is “trying day and night” to improve the economy and would put it on the right track very soon.

He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the allies were trying their best to provide relief to common men.

Mr Asif accused the PTI chairman of selling jewellery worth Rs6 billion which he had bought from Toshakhana for only Rs 15m. He alleged Mr Khan and his wife had turned politics into a business.

He went on to say that during the four-year rule of the PTI, false cases were registered against PML-N leaders and they were imprisoned.

Mr Asif said the elections would not be on the demand of Mr Khan and any decision in that regard would be taken by PM Shehbaz and the coalition partners.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2022