[image: It’s too early to think about another extension for army chief,says PM Imran]
ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday his relationshipwith the military was “exemplary”, but he hadn’t thought about givinganother extension to the army chief.
Speaking to an interviewer, Khan said the issue of army chief’s tenurewould be decided in November 2022. He said the next three months would bevery important for the PTI government. He said the government needed tocontrol inflation in the next three months. He was of the view thattogether with the allies, the incumbent government would complete itsfive-year tenure.
Speaking about the recently-held local bodies elections in KhyberPakhtunkhwa, the premier said the “PTI has suffered because of the defeatin the polls”.
He was of the view that the defeat of the PTI was a major failure at theorganisational level; but he reiterated that the party’s vote bank had notdecreased.
Highlighting the flaws of his government, he said that a lack ofaccountability was the biggest failure of his government. He said thatopposition leaders were managing to escape accountability despite all theevidence against them.
If the opposition parties plan to bring a motion of no confidence againstthe government, he said, “they can do so”. He however said he did not feelthreatened by the corrupt parties.
Earlier on Thursday, the premier chaired a meeting on the Ravi UrbanDevelopment and Central Business District projects where he emphasised theneed for urban development.
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“Urban development is the top priority of our government,” he said,directing the relevant authorities to expedite work on the projects.
During the meeting, he said that unused government land was being turnedinto valuable assets.
A day earlier, ISPR DG Babar Iftikhar rejected as “baseless” thespeculations about another extension to Chief of Army Staff General QamarJaved Bajwa.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, the ISPR chief saidit was not appropriate to talk about the COAS’ term at this time.
Gen Bajwa’s second tenure will end on November 29, 2022.
