LAHORE: Suleman She­hbaz, the son of PM Shehbaz Sharif, has accused PTI Chairman Imran Khan of trying to make the new army chief controversial.

Mr Suleman, who recently returned to the country after a four-year self-imposed exile, from London, said on Monday: “Imran Khan is now trying to make the new [army] chief controversial and we condemn this. Khan earlier had called the neutrals [establishment] animal.”

He asked Mr Khan to tell the people why he had offered a “lifetime extension” to former COAS Gen Qamar Bajwa.

He also asked the ousted premier to give an explanation on the corruption allegations against his “front person”, Farah.

“I want to tell Mr Khan that the Election Comm­ission, not the military, has [the right] to decide about the elections,” he said.

Suleman Shehbaz returned from London days after the Islamabad High Court barred the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accou­ntability Bureau (NAB) from arresting him in an assets-beyond-means reference, while hearing his petition for protective bail that would enable him to surrender before a trial court.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2022