Tag: COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa

  • ‘Institute immediate inquiry against Gen Bajwa’: Khan writes letter to Alvi

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday asked President Arif Alvi to “institute an immediate inquiry” against former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) retired General Qamar Javed Bajwa for violating “his oath of office repeatedly” as the army chief.

    “Some very disturbing information has now come into the public domain whereby it is clear that Gen retd Bajwa as COAS violated his oath of office repeatedly,” Khan stated in a letter written to Alvi.

    PTI leader Shireen Mazari also announced the decision to ask for the inquiry on Twitter, sharing pictures of the said letter.

    Citing Javed Chaudhry’s column, Khan wrote that Gen Bajwa had “admitted to journalist Javed Chaudhry that ‘we’ considered Imran Khan [to be] dangerous to the country if he continued to stay in power”.

    He added that it would be “critical to ascertain” from Gen Bajwa that who did he refer to as “we”. The former premier raised the question, “Who gave him (Gen Bajwa) the power to decide that an elected prime minister (Imran) was supposedly a ‘danger to the country if he continued to stay in power’?”

    The former premier then went on to refer to a YouTube vlog made by political commentator Aftab Iqbal. He said according to Iqbal, “Gen Bajwa told him (Iqbal) in conversation that he had tapes of then-PM Imran Khan’s conversations with him”.

    Khan called it a “serious violation” of the former army chief’s oath as well as of his own fundamental human rights. “The question is why and under what authorisation was Gen Bajwa recording confidential conversations?” he asked.

    “I would also point out that Chapter II of the Constitution describes the mandate of the Armed Forces and specifically refers to Articles 243 and 244. Therefore it is your Constitutional duty as President and as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces to take immediate action and institute an inquiry so as to establish whether such grave violations of the Constitution and oath of Office under the Constitution have taken place.”

    Imran Khan alleged that Gen (retd) Bajwa violated his oath when he publicly went against the then government’s policy of maintaining neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war.

    “He did this at an international conference in Islamabad on 2 April 2022 — the Islamabad Security Conference. I would like to point out that the govt policy was arrived at after developing a consensus of all stakeholders including MOFA and retired diplomats who had the relevant experience and were area specialists,” he wrote.

  • Shahid Khaqan Abbasi confirms Gen Bajwa wanted an extension

    Shahid Khaqan Abbasi confirms Gen Bajwa wanted an extension

    Former Prime Minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has confirmed that former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa did indeed ask for an extension from the incumbent government.

    Talking on Geo News’ programme ‘Capital Talk’, Abbasi told senior journalist Hamid Mir that he met former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Bajwa twice in November 2022. “I met him twice. He knows what I said,” the PML-N leader said in reply to Mir asking him if he was campaigning for an extension for the former army head.

    “I can say that other than Nawaz Sharif, I was the one man who was openly against giving an extension,” he categorically said, adding that he even told his party to leave the government if it was being pressurised to grant the extension.

    He said that in 2018, one year before General Bajwa got an extension in his tenure of service, he told the COAS that he will destroy his own reputation and mar the image of the institution he represents. “I said the same thing in 2022, that this extension will completely destroy the country’s systems,” he stated.

    Hamid Mir then said, “So this means he was trying to get an extension.”

    “He absolutely was,” Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said in reply, adding that General Bajwa had sent a “clear message” for an extension.

    When asked whether his government was threatened with a martial law, the PML-N leader said that he has no knowledge of such a threat. “But, a lot of people from a lot of parties were in favour of this,” he said, emphasizing that only one man was very clear about not granting an extension. “That was Nawaz Sharif,” he said.

    The host asked Shahid Khaqan Abbasi if he used to meet General Bajwa and then fly to London to talk to his party head Nawaz Sharif. “Yes I did. It was done in the country’s interest,” he replied. Elaborating further, he said that he was outside the country when he received “suspicious” news and then went to party supremo Nawaz Sharif. “I met General Bajwa with Nawaz Sharif’s permission. Then I went back and told Mian Sb what happened, gave my option and came back.”

    He clarified that he told the army head that a smooth transition of command was his biggest responsibility and will be his legacy. “I repeated this to him again and again. He is now part of history. It is not appropriate to discuss this now,” he concluded.

  • Fact Check: No, the person with Gen Bajwa is not Mohsin Naqvi

    Claim: Former Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari took to Twitter and posted a picture of former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and said that the person standing next to him was the newly appointed caretaker Chief Minister Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi.

    Taking to Twitter, Mazari said, “Election Commission never disappoints viz its partisan approach. Selects Mohsin Naqvi as caretaker CM Punjab, seen here on a recent Emirates flight to Dubai with General retd Bajwa. Assume his credentials below carried by a dark cloud seem to have impressed the ECP!”

    She shared the picture of Gen Bajwa standing with a man in a plane, whom she called Naqvi. She also shared another template which has Mohsin Naqvi’s picture, which stated that Naqvi was an important person during the regime change of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, he runs a news channel without license that spreads fake news for blackmailing, and that he is the front man for all of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari’s illegal work.

    According to senior journalist Hamid Mir, the person in the picture is not Mohsin Naqvi but a lawyer, Zahid Jameel.

    Mir tweeted that Mazari should stop spreading disinformation. “First of all this Bajwa was given extension by the great @ImranKhanPTI in 2019 and the whole political elite including PTI, PML-N and PPP were on one page , secondly the person in the picture is not Mohsin Naqvi but a lawyer Zahid Jameel.”

    Verdict: FALSE

  • ‘Gen Bajwa ke kehnay pe Farah Khan mulk se bahir gayi hain’: Faisal Vawda

    Former Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda has revealed that former First Lady, Bushra Bibi’s closest friend, Farah Khan was sent out of Pakistan to please former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    “Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had knowledge [of the departure] and it was due to his orders that Farah Khan was sent out of Pakistan,” said Vawda while speaking on Hum News programme, ‘Breaking Views with Malick’.

    “Imran Khan would mind this and take this personally,” further said Vawda.

    It has been alleged by the current federal government that Farah Khan, a close friend of Bushra Bibi, to be involved in multiple irregularities that took place during the tenure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    Most recently, Farah Khan was alleged to have sold the Toshakhana watches that were gifted to Imran Khan by foreign dignitaries. In an interview with Geo’s Shahzeb Khanzada, a Dubai based businessman, Umar Farooq Zahoor alleged that Farah Khan sold him a Graff watch set for for $2 million in cash, worth approximately Rs280m at the time of sale in 2019.

  • Pakistan Army’s change of command ceremony to be held at GHQ on Tuesday

    Pakistan Army’s change of command ceremony to be held at GHQ on Tuesday

    Pakistan Army’s change of command ceremony will be held tomorrow (Tuesday), military’s media-wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Monday, marking the time-honoured tradition that symbolises the seamless transition of military leadership.

    Outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will hand over the “baton of command” to General Asim Munir, who was selected to become the new army chief by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on November 24.

    General Asim Munir will be the 17th army chief to assume the command of the Pakistan Army.

    Former military leadership will also participate in the function at General HeadQuaters (GHQ).

    General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on President Arif Alvi to for his farewell as the 16th COAS at the President’s House.

    Later in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met the COAS in his office for the farewell visit before hosting a luncheon in his honour.

  • Lt General Faiz Hameed plans to take early retirement after COAS appointment

    Lt General Faiz Hameed plans to take early retirement after COAS appointment

    Lieutenant Generals (Lt Gen) Faiz Hameed and Azhar Abbas are reportedly contemplating planning early retirement following the appointment of Lt Gen Asim Munir as Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

    Lt General Abbas is officially set to retire on April 27 next year while Lt General Hameed is scheduled to retire on April 30, 2023.

    Both are from Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Long Course.

    Earlier in the week, General Headquarters (GHQ) sent a summary containing the names of the six senior-most lieutenant generals to the Ministry of Defence for consideration for the two top military posts.

    It is pertinent to mention that the summary included the names of Lt Gen Azhar Abbas and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as candidates for the posts of army chief and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJSC).

    On November 25, Lt Gen Asim Munir was officially appointed as the new army chief of Pakistan while Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza was appointed (CJSC), the two seniormost men on the list making the final cut.

  • Process for the appointment of new COAS begins today

    Process for the appointment of new COAS begins today

    Khawaja Asif, Minister for Defence, confirmed on Monday that the process for appointing the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the new chairman joint chiefs of staff committee (CJCSC) has started today.

    Setting aside speculations that had been raging since weeks, Asif confirmed that the Prime Minister’s (PM) Office had received a summary in this regard.

    “The process of appointing [officials] to Pakistan Army’s highest positions has started today; God willing, the appointments will be made soon as per the constitutional requirements,” the minister said in a tweet.

    Talking with media, the minister said that the process of appointing the army chief would be completed by November 25, and the summary would be moved within a day or two.

    “There is no deadlock over the appointment of the army chief. Once we receive the summary, we will discuss the names — probably five or six senior-most officers,” he said.

    Asif had earlier said that the name of the new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday.

    Discussing the all-important appointment on Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, the defence minister said that the process to appoint a new head of the armed forces would start on Monday.

    During the show, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that the change of command ceremony would be held on November 29. He also predicted that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march would suffer a severe blow the day the appointment decision was finalised.

  • ‘Our state institutions have carried out an exercise to secure PMO’: Tarar

    ‘Our state institutions have carried out an exercise to secure PMO’: Tarar

    Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has said that state institutions have taken steps to secure the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and changed some standard operating procedures (SOPs).

    “Our state institutions have carried out an exercise to secure the PMO and ensure [security],” he stated.

    “Some SOPs have been changed which I think is a government responsibility as oftentimes many sensitive matters are discussed in such places and there should be an environment where you are 100 per cent satisfied that you’re making national decisions in a secure environment,” he told reporters.

    He explained that basic SOPs were already in place for “sensitive buildings”, adding that further orders have been issued to make security measures effective and
    “It will be an effort to introduce a culture and environment, not just in the PMO, but in all departments where you can ensure that sensitive information will not be leaked.”

    These steps were taken after several audio leaks surfaced of PM Shehbaz and former PM Imran Khan.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had informed Imran Khan multiple times that the PM House is unsafe for important conversations.

    “The army chief told Imran Khan that the points that what we discuss here is recorded and leaked later on,” he said, adding that, “General Bajwa had said Nawaz Sharif stepped out of PM House when he wanted to talk to him about some vital issue.”

    The PTI leader said that it is unacceptable for PM Office to be hacked, regardless of who is premier — whether Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif or Imran Khan.

  • ’Great honour, deep-rooted ties’: COAS Bajwa addresses the passing out parade at Sandhurst

    ’Great honour, deep-rooted ties’: COAS Bajwa addresses the passing out parade at Sandhurst

    Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed the hope that relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom would reach “historic heights” in the future. He was addressing the passing-out parade at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, on Friday (August 12). General Bajwa is the first Pakistani dignitary who was invited as the chief guest at the military academy.

    Pakistan’s army chief began his address by saying that it was a “great honour and privilege” for him to be present during today’s ceremony.

    He congratulated the cadets and their families on successfully completing their training at the academy.

    “You are part of the finest militaries in the world that has produced great military leaders.”

    “Two Pakistani cadets will also be graduating with you today and let me say that I am as proud of you as I am of them,” General Bajwa told the graduating officers and congratulated them and their families.

    COAS Bajwa has become the first Pakistani ever to be the representative of the Queen during the sovereign’s parade at the Military Academy Sandhurst.

    “Your alma matter is, without a doubt, one of the finest military institutions in the world which have produced some of the great military leaders that this world has seen,” he said, adding that graduating from Sandhurst is a great honour and pride.

    “My presence here is a testimony of the deep-rooted relationship that exists between Pakistan and the United Kingdom based on mutual respect and shared values which have been carefully nurtured by both the nations over many decades.”

    COAS Bajwa arrives in UK on official visit

    Chief of Army Staff arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) on an official visit on early Thursday, August 11.

    A day before leaving for the UK, COAS Bajwa had a meeting with Commander Iraqi Navy Lieutenant General Ahmed Jasim Maarij Abdullah Al Zayid on Wednesday, August 10.

    ISPR said that matters of mutual interest, regional security issues, and measures to further enhance bilateral defence collaboration were discussed during the meeting.

  • ‘Name the neutrals, have some courage’: PML-N’s Malik Ahmad challenges Imran Khan

    ‘Name the neutrals, have some courage’: PML-N’s Malik Ahmad challenges Imran Khan

    Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader Malik Ahmad Khan challenged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and said that he should show some courage and name the neutral who gave him the guarantee that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja will remain neutral.

    “You [Imran Khan] said that the neutral said to you that they take to guarantee that CEC will remain neutral. Now name the neutral if you have the courage to do so. Did Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa say this to you or your DG ISI General Faiz Hameed? Have some audacity and courage and name him. You claim to be a fighter, then name the person who said this to you.”

    “Show some courage and take names,” said Malik Ahmad to Imran Khan.

    Malik Ahmad’s comments came after the PTI chairman’s recent interview on Express News.

    Talking about CEC Raja, the former prime minister said that the neutrals guaranteed that the new ECP chief would remain neutral.

    “We were in a deadlock situation, that’s when the neutrals approached us and said that they will provide us with a candidate for the position of election commissioner and no will oppose him. We agreed to it. It was the neutrals who suggested Sikander Sultan’s name, I didn’t even know him. The moment his [Sikander Sutan Raja’s] name came out, people told us he is associated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz [PML-N],” said the PTI chairman.

    “I approached the neutrals again and told them that he is associated with the PML-N, to which they said we take guarantee of him that he will remain neutral,” said Imran Khan, adding that we made a huge mistake.