ISLAMABAD: In a new twist to his quest for power, former prime minister Imran Khan Monday took a new summersault against his previous stance and said that whichever party comes into power after free and fair general elections should appoint a new army chief, indirectly proposing a brief extension in the tenure of incumbent Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
In an interview with a private TV channel on Monday, Imran said he is ready for holding talks with the coalition government led by the PML-N only if they accept his demand for the early polls.
“If they [government] are ready for [early] free and fair elections then there is also a possibility to delay elections in Sindh [due to floods],” he said.
Imran, the deposed premier, said he is ready for negotiations with the government on any matter “but you should decide first whether you want stability in the country or not”.
The PTI chairman said he would have no objection to the incumbent rulers appointing new army chief if they came into power after winning free and fair elections.
He said this while responding to a question related to his controversial statement in which he alleged that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari wanted to appoint the army chief of their choice because if a “strong and patriotic army chief” came, they would be questioned about their loot.
“The second reason is that the new army chief is coming in November. Zardari and Nawaz want to bring their favourite as the next COAS because they have stolen public money,” he said.
“They are afraid that when patriotic army chief comes, he will ask them about their loot,” he had said at the public rally in Faisalabad last week.
