ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Saturday stronglyrebutted media reports suggesting unusual delay in the issuance ofnotification appointing Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir as Chief ofDefence Forces.
Taking to social media platform X, the minister described the ongoingspeculation as unnecessary and irresponsible, asserting that suchconjecture was creating confusion among the public.
He clarified that the formal process for the appointment had already beeninitiated and all required summaries were under active consideration at therelevant offices.
Asif revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, currently on an officialvisit abroad, is expected to return to the country shortly, after which thenotification will be issued in due course.
The defence minister emphasised that there was absolutely no room forspeculation, urging media outlets to exercise restraint and avoidpublishing unverified reports on sensitive national security matters.
The post from the minister came amid a flurry of reports claiming thesummary for General Munir’s appointment as CDF had been pending with thePrime Minister’s Office for several days.
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Under the newly enacted Chief of Defence Forces Act 2025, the Army Chief isto serve concurrently as CDF, making the notification a proceduralformality following the law’s passage.
Observers note that the swift rebuttal reflects the government’ssensitivity to any perception of discord between civil and militaryleadership at a time of political stability.
The minister’s statement is expected to put an end to the wave ofspeculation that had gained traction across traditional and social mediaplatforms over the past forty-eight hours.
Source: www.dawn.com/news/1978421″>https://www.dawn.com/news/1978421
