Islamabad: Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant-General Asim Bajwa on Monday rubbished reports regarding an extension of General Raheel Sharif’s tenure as Chief of Army Staff, quoting the Army Chief as saying he will “retire on the due date” in November this year.
In a series of tweets by the director general of the military’s media wing, Army Chief General Raheel was quoted as saying, “Pakistan Army is a great institution. I don’t believe in extension and will retire on the due date.”
The post of Army chief is inarguably the most powerful in Pakistan and speculation had recently been rife regarding an extension in the Chief of Army Staff’s tenure following former president Musharraf’s statement calling for an extension in his term.
On Nov 27, the government approved Sharif’s appointment for the slot of Chief of Army Staff, a position that he took over from Ashfaq Parvez Kayani who stepped down on Nov 29, 2013, after serving as military chief for six years.