Gen Bajwa likely to get extension in term, says Arif Nizami

LAHORE: Veteran journalist, senior analyst and Pakistan Today Editor Arif Nizami on Friday said that it is likely that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will get an extension in term.

He said this while speaking on Channel 92’s programme ‘Ho Kya Raha Hai?’. Commenting on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to the US, he said that while every foreign visit is labeled as successful whether it garners the desired results or not but the premier’s recent visit was successful by all measures. He said that General Bajwa’s presence on the trip was of great significance as he met an important official of the US forces.

Talking about the rumours circulating about extension in army chief’s tenure, the senior journalist said that many army chiefs have been given extension in term in the past and if General Bajwa’s tenure is extended, it would not be surprising.

“Currently, both civilian and military leaderships are on the same page and enjoy a very ideal relationship. This is in direct contrast with PML-N’s [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz] tenure during which former premier Nawaz Sharif changed six army chiefs,” he said.

The senior journalist also said that the incumbent army chief is different from his predecessor in terms of his personality. “He is not interested in publicity and is known as the ‘clear-headed intellectual general’ in military circles,” he added.

He said that General Bajwa is important to the US at the moment because they want him to help them get out of Afghanistan without any further losses. “If we consider this, there is a great possibility that he will get an extension in term but we cannot say for how long,” he concluded.