Tag: General Qamar Javed Bajwa

  • ‘Benefit of doubt’ for Gen Asim Munir: Imran Khan

    Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while talking to journalists at his Zaman Park residence, discussed his strained relationship with the establishment and said that he gives the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, the “benefit of doubt”.

    When asked if the incumbent army chief is following the policy of former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa with regards to the PTI, Khan responded that that Munir had been in office for a mere two months and he was willing to give him the “benefit of the doubt”.

    Khan reiterated that a three-year extension given to Bajwa during his tenure as Prime Minister was a “big blunder”. He alleged that his rival Nawaz Sharif had struck a deal with Bajwa in return for endorsing his extension in parliament. In return, Bajwa started securing relief for Nawaz and others in corruption cases.

    “Nawaz had set two conditions for his return — my disqualification and victory in Punjab polls,” Khan claimed.

    He warned: “But let me tell you that my disqualification is not possible in any of the fake cases they have instituted against me if legal procedures are followed.”

    Speaking about the ‘court arrest’ movement, which he announced last week, Imran Khan said he would be at the forefront of the struggle. “I will be leading the Jail Bharo Tehreek — which is a non-violent drive — after recovering from bullet wounds in two weeks or so,” he said, adding that preparations for the movement have already begun.

    Imran Khan has had an estranged relationship with the military since he was removed from power in April 2022 through a Vote of No Confidence. Since being deposed, the former Prime Minister has criticised high-ranking officials in the army, including General (retd) Bajwa.

  • ‘Naye army chief ke saath koyi relationship nahin hai’: Imran Khan

    ‘Naye army chief ke saath koyi relationship nahin hai’: Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Wednesday that his party currently has no relationship with the new military leadership.

    The reporter from BBC asked that there is a general opinion that the government cannot take any economic decision due to political instability. Some observers claim that Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s campaign is adding to this instability.

    Imran Khan’s responded by saying, “Someone should ask him why he overthrew our government by plotting.” He claimed that his government had the best economic performance in the past 17 years. “What mistake were we making that they brought down (our) government together with an army chief? After that, it was not handled by them.”

    Imran Khan revealed that he and Shaukat Tarin, the then finance minister, together told General Bajwa that if you create political instability, to succeed in this conspiracy, no one will be able to manage the economy. “And that’s what happened,” Imran said.

    “It was not handled by them. The market quickly lost faith in him. They were taking their NRO-2. Chaos began to arise in the country. So just ask (any) business personality today. Is it because of us? As soon as they arrived, they realised that they did not have a road map. What General Bajwa has done together with them, even an enemy would not have done to Pakistan.”

    The former Prime Minister alleged that rhe current government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had come into power through horse-trading. He remarked that coalition rulers have kept themselves above the law and ended corruption cases that they were booked in years back. “Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, and Maryam Nawaz — all of their cases have been forgiven.”

    He said that in a bid to move towards free and fair elections, his party “sacrificed” two assemblies — Khyber Pakhtunkwa (KP) and Punjab. “Now this government will be forced into holding elections in April,” he predicted.

  • ‘Gen Bajwa apkay mohsin thay, aap mohsinkush niklay’: PM Shehbaz to Imran Khan

    ‘Gen Bajwa apkay mohsin thay, aap mohsinkush niklay’: PM Shehbaz to Imran Khan

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa was Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s benefactor, but the former Premier betrayed him.

    “General Bajwa was your benefactor; you have betrayed him,” said PM Shehbaz to Khan while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

    In reply to a question about the former army chief, Shehbaz Sharif said that since General Bajwa has hung up his boots, he should be allowed to live in peace.

    PM Shehbaz on Daily Mail:

    The prime minister said that Khan and his “minions” were “heartless” when they got involved with Daily Mail.

    “They thought that if this damages Pakistan’s reputation, it won’t matter. They wanted to embarrass the Sharif family no matter what,” the prime minister said.

    “This isn’t just an apology to me, this is an apology to the 220 million people and the mothers and daughters who were affected in the floods,” he said about the apology issued to him by the British newspaper.

    The prime minister also noted that Daily Mail published the apology to him in one million printed copies last Sunday. “This is Daily Mail’s timeline. This was a huge conspiracy against Pakistan, but it was Allah’s mercy that it was proven wrong,” he said.

    “I do not use the word ‘fraud’, but this is what Imran did”: Shehbaz Sharif

    The Prime Minister then talked about the Toshakhana scandal, stating that Imran sold the one-of-a-kind watch that Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman had gifted to him.

    “Imran made a cheap move by selling the watch that contained the image of Holy Kaaba,” Shehbaz Sharif said, adding that nobody can deny that the watch was not sold after the evidence that has come to light.

    “I do not use the word ‘fraud’, but that is what Imran did. The shop owner — whose receipts that PTI showed — has also clarified that it is not his handwriting on the receipt,” PM Shehbaz pointed out.

    Khan’s treatment with other politicians

    Berating PTI further, PM Shehbaz said that the former rulering party tried to malign Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, his family, and his party by levelling baseless allegations against them.

  • Pakistan’s new COAS: Gen Bajwa hands over command to Gen Munir

    Pakistan’s new COAS: Gen Bajwa hands over command to Gen Munir

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa handed over the military’s command to General Asim Munir today at a General Headquarters (GHQ) ceremony in Rawalpindi, marking the end of his six-year extended tenure.

    The change of command ceremony marks the time-honoured tradition that symbolises the seamless transition of military leadership. As the ceremony began with a GHQ military band performing national songs and a medley of folk tunes, former heads of the military could also be spotted among the guests.

    Senior serving and retired officers, diplomats as well as government functionaries were in attendance.

    Prior to the ceremony, both Gen Bajwa and Gen Munir laid a wreath at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada (Monument to Martyrs) in GHQ and offered fateha.

    ‘Mein gumnaami mein chala jaon gaa, lekin fauj kay saath rohaani raabta hamesha kayam rahay ga’: Gen Bajwa

    Gen Bajwa congratulated Gen Munir on being appointed his successor and hoped his promotion would help the country and the army progress. He went on to say that his association with Gen Munir goes back 24 years.

    “In addition to being a Hafiz-i-Quran, he is a professional, capable and principled officer. I am certain that under his leadership the army will reach new heights of success,” the outgoing Chief said while paying tribute to his successor.

    Gen Bajwa hoped the appointment of Gen Munir as the military chief would prove to be positive for both the country and the army. He said he was handing over the army to an “expert and capable son”.

    Reflecting on his military journey, Gen Bajwa said the journey which began several decades ago was now coming to an end.

    “I am thankful to God that he gave me the opportunity to work for this great army and gave me the opportunity to lead it,” he said, reiterating that it was a “great honour” for him.

    “Soon, I will walk into obscurity, but my spiritual relationship with the army will be forever,” he said in a rare moment of poignancy, ending his speech with prayers for the success of the new army chief and the Pakistan army.

    The ceremony was also attended by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu.

    Gen Munir was chosen to lead the country’s army by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on November 24. The summary of his appointment was ratified by President Arif Alvi the same day.

  • 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.

  • ‘Decision to become apolitical led to personal criticism’; Gen Bajwa addresses backlash in rare interview

    ‘Decision to become apolitical led to personal criticism’; Gen Bajwa addresses backlash in rare interview

    The outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa, has addressed the backlash he and his institute have faced in recent months in a rare interview.

    Talking to the United Arab Emirates based Gulf News, General Bajwa said that the army’s decision to become apolitical is “being viewed as negative by a segment of society and led to personal criticism”. However, he doubled down on the decision, emphasizing that restricting the armed forces to it’s mandated constitutional role will, “facilitate in reinvigorating and strengthening democratic culture, assist in supporting state organs to effectively perform and deliver. Above all, this decision will help enhance army’s prestige in the long term.”

    General Bajwa, who has less than two days left in his tenure, stated that he felt it prudent to “shield Pakistan Army from the vagaries of politics in Pakistan,” adding that public support for the institution goes down when the military is seen to be involved in political affairs.

    Without naming either Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or its Chairman Imran Khan, who has criticized the army for becoming “neutral,” General Bajwa again talked about the “undue vilification” of the army. “Despite some criticism and undue vilification of the armed forces through mass propaganda and meticulously crafted false narratives, the institutional resolve to remain apolitical will remain steadfast,” he told Gulf News.

    Talking about Pakistan’s relations with Middle Eastern countries, the COAS predicted that the country will have a “robust and broad-based” relationship with Arab nations.

    The army chief also discussed the challenges that Pakistan faces, citing it’s “delicate position” in balancing it’s relationships with both all-weather friend China and the West. General Bajwa also cited the western border with Afghanistan as “volatile” but added that the violence has reduced after US withdrawal and provided a “modicum of stability”.

    However the COAS also mentioned “economic frailty” as a major challenge, remarking that it tends to “exacerbate other issues concerning human security such as health, education, access to food and clean water, and mitigating threats posed by climate change.”

    At the end, the Chief gave out a message to the country’s youth. “The youth must also ensure that they are shielded from divisive propaganda and information warfare that seeks to polarise our society and erode mutual trust. Pakistan should always come first — before any other marker of identity,” he remarked.

  • COAS appointment notification to be issued by Nov 26 says Khawaja Asif

    COAS appointment notification to be issued by Nov 26 says Khawaja Asif

    Khawaja Asif, Minister for Defence, said Monday that the notification for the appointment of the next chief of army staff (COAS) would be issued by November 26 before the end of the tenure of the outgoing chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa – who retires on November 29.

    Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly (NA) on November 21, Asif said his ministry had received a letter from the Prime Minister, asking for initiation of the appointment process on Monday, which had been forwarded to General Headquarters.

    He said the summary, along with the service dossiers of the senior-most lieutenant generals proposed for elevation and appointment as chief of army staff and chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, was likely to be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office within two days.

    Appearing on Geo News programme “Capital Talk” on November 21, the minister said, “The appointment process for the highest offices in the Pakistan Army has commenced today.”

    “Once the matter [the appointment issue] is settled, the political leaders should join hands, sit together, and talk so that the appointment is not politicised in the future,” he emphasised.

    When senior journalist Hamid Mir asked Khawaja Asif as to why Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), chose November 26 as the date for his long march, the minister stated that Khan might be considering that President Dr Arif Alvi would not approve PM Shehbaz’s recommendation for the COAS.

    Lashing out at Imran Khan for “causing damage” to the honour and prestige of state institutions after being ousted from office, Asif said, “Today, an institution [army] is categorically stating that it has decided to give up its political or unconstitutional role and has made the announcement that it will play its constitutional role of defending the motherland, but Imran Khan has made their neutrality a curse.”

  • Ishaq Dar takes notice of ‘illegal, unwarranted’ leak of Gen Bajwa’s family’s tax records

    Ishaq Dar takes notice of ‘illegal, unwarranted’ leak of Gen Bajwa’s family’s tax records

    Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday took notice of the “illegal and unwarranted” leakage of tax information of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s family members.

    An official statement from the Finance Division states, “This is clearly a violation of the complete confidentiality of tax information that the law provides.”

    This statement comes a day after a report by investigative news website FactFocus, which cited alleged tax returns and wealth statements, claimed that the COAS’ family had amassed billions of rupees in the last six years.

    “In view of this serious lapse on the part of to-date unknown functionaries, the finance minister has directed the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Revenue, Tariq Mehmood Pasha, to personally lead an immediate investigation into the violation of tax law[s] and breach of Federal Board of Revnue (FBR) data, affix responsibility and submit a report within 24 hours,” the handout said.

    According to the FactFocus report, the current market value of the known assets and businesses of the army chief, both within and outside Pakistan, amounted to Rs12.7 billion.

    The report also shared the alleged wealth statements of Gen Bajwa and his family from 2013 to 2021.

    According to the publication, it was unable to obtain data about assets in the name of Gen Bajwa’s two sons.

    FactFocus has claimed that after the publication of the story, the traffic on its site was “disrupted” and the website had been “banned”.

  • All eyes on the COAS appointment as Gen Bajwa and President Alvi arrive in Lahore

    All eyes on the COAS appointment as Gen Bajwa and President Alvi arrive in Lahore

    President Dr Arif Alvi and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa were in Lahore on Friday night as speculations ran rife on who will be appointed the new army chief. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman is also in Lahore, recuperating from surgeries at his home in Zaman Park.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will soon return from London after consulting his elder brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif on the political quagmire in the country and the appointment of a new army chief.

    According to news reports, President Alvi has emerged as the leading figure in the army’s ongoing “backchannel talks” with PTI. He has already facilitated at least one direct meeting between Gen Bajwa and Khan at the Presidency.

    In an interview on Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath”, PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira — whose party also holds an important position in the ruling alliance — said merit would determine who becomes the next army chief.

    “The [government] will appoint the next army chief from among the top-five senior generals,” Kaira said and mentioned that PM Shehbaz would return to Pakistan and deliberate over the matter with members of the government and PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

    Lashing out at Khan, Kaira said the person against whom Khan had reservations was the same man with whom he spent four years in power.

    Earlier this week, PM Shehbaz and Nawaz Sharif agreed not to succumb to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) pressure, especially on Khan’s key demand for early elections.

    The Premier had a meeting that lasted for over three hours with his elder brother. Reportedly, Nawaz told Shehbaz to “continue doing his best to take Pakistan out of the economic crisis” and “not succumb to any kind of pressure”.

    Meanwhile, Khan has also reiterated his stance on appointing the army chief on “merit” and criticised PM Shehbaz for consulting Nawaz on this all-important appointment.

    During an address to participants of his party’s long march in Gujrat via video link, Khan said: “Whoever fits the merit, should be appointed the army chief.”

    “Nawaz Sharif always brings up the man who is beneficial for him,” Khan said referring to the appointment’s decision. The statement was in stark contrast to Khan’s stance of just a day earlier, as reported by Dawn, when he told journalists that, “They [government] can appoint whoever they want.”

  • Suggestions are being made to govt to let COAS Bajwa continue

    Suggestions are being made to govt to let COAS Bajwa continue

    Suggestions are being made to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) by “certain elements” to convince Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to continue as the head of the armed forces, reports The News.

    According to the newspaper’s sources, a suggestion was given to the government to give an extension to the incumbent army chief, and dissolve the government so that an interim government could form which would then continue for six to seven months.

    However, it has been reported that the party has said “no” to these options. PM Shehbaz and his senior party leadership insist on completing the term of the present assemblies and holding the next elections in October-November 2023. According to the party, the appointment of the COAS is at the discretion of the Premier and key military appointments would be made as per the law and Constitution.

    It is pertinent to mention that COAS Bajwa is set to retire by the end of November, a time frame that he has reportedly verbally confirmed multiple times.

    It was also reported a few weeks ago that Imran Khan, former Prime Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been seeking the continuation of the incumbent army chief until the new elections are called.

    In an interview with Kamran Khan on Dunya News, Khan suggested that COAS Bajwa, be given an extension in his tenure of service.

    Talking about the possibility of appointing a new Army Chief, Khan said, “There can be a provision in relevance to the selection of the new COAS. When the next government comes, they can appoint a new COAS.”