LAHORE: Prime Min­ister Shehbaz Sharif claimed on Saturday that PTI Chairman Imran Khan through a mutual friend contacted him regarding the appointment of new army chief one month ago and offered him nominating three each potential candidates for the post but he refused to sit with him.

The PM was talking to journalists after holding a meeting with social media influencers in Lahore.

He said Mr Khan wanted to talk with him on two issues, including appointment of army chief and holding elections.

“I only offered to hold talks on the charter of democracy and the charter of economy,” he said.

“I sent a message [to Imran Khan] that the appointment of army chief is the constitutional right of the prime minister and he would do it on his own,” he said.

PM Shehbaz said that the director general of ISI held the press conference after his approval.

He said Mr Khan’s sit-in first jeopardised the Chinese president’s visit to Pakistan in 2014 and he again was planning to create disturbance when he is about visit China.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2022