In a meeting with Naval Staff Chief Admiral Nauman Bashir on Tuesday, President Asif Ali Zardari discussed matters related to the Pakistan Navy and lauded efforts of Bashir for his organisation and the country.
Bashir will retire next month after completing his three-year tenure and the president will appoint his successor after consulting Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Zardari said the meeting was not meant to be a farewell. Reports suggested that the Defense Ministry had recommended three top naval officers for the naval chief’s position.
However, an official in the ministry denied any such proposal and also rejected the impression that the Defense Ministry had any favourite for the post. According to navy’s seniority-list, Vice Admiral Asif Sindhila who is currently working as the chief of staff is the main contender for the naval chief’s office. Other contenders include Deputy Chief Vice Admiral Tanvir Faiz and Commander Vice Admiral Abbas Raza.
