President Alvi not to make mockery of sensitive issue of the appointment of new Chief of Army Chief: Says Senator Irfan Siddiqui

Islamabad;(Staff Reporter)_Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Irfan-Ul-Haq Siddiqui on Tuesday asked President Dr Arif Alvi not to make mockery of sensitive issue of the appointment of new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

Talking to media outside Parliament House,he said the then government did not consult the opposition on the extension of (incumbent army chief) in 2019.

In 2019, Imran Khan did not consult the then opposition leader (current Prime Minister) Shehbaz Sharif or other opposition parties to extend the tenure of the army chief.

He was asked to comment on President Alvi’s suggestion that the Army Chief should be appointed by consensus and after wider consultation.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui said that this proposal was a clear deviation from the Constitution of Pakistan and such a proposal was not expected from the President.

Siddiqui also contested the claim of the President that the PTI government had consulted the then opposition in 2019 to extend the army chief’s tenure.

President Arif Alvi has deviated from the constitutional requirements by proposing a wider consultation regarding the appointment of the Army Chief.

He asked the President to avoid floating such unconstitutional proposals.
A draft amendment to the Army Act was shown to the opposition by former law minister Farough Naseem and former defence minister Pervez Khattak when the extension of army chief issue had landed in the Supreme Court and formal legislation in this regard was being sought. Also asking the opposition that they (opposition) have no authority to modify it, (and to just) support or oppose it.

Senator Siddiqui said the then opposition supported the bill due to its own reasons, it cannot be called a consultation at all.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui asked the President not ridicule the appointment to a sensitive position by presenting proposals that contradict the constitution.