TAXILA: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the appointment of the army chief was the constitutional responsibility of the prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan had nothing to do with it.
Addressing a workers’ convention in Attock on Saturday, he said the upcoming army chief will be appointed before November 29 by the prime minister in line with the law and the constitution.
He was of the view that the matter of the new army chief’s appointment should not be politicised. He clarified that the army chief’s appointment will be made on a professional basis and following the procedure as prescribed in the constitution.
Mr Abbasi said that the incumbent government faces no imminent threat from the long march of the PTI.
“Imran Khan may do whatever he wants from street politics to agitation, but the present political set-up is not going anywhere.
“He may launch a long march or as he wishes, but the government will remain intact.”
Talking about the PTI change of stance on the alleged US conspiracy to out his government, the PML-N leader asked if Imran Khan had taken a u-turn for the first time. He said Imran had turned away from everything he had talked about in the last four years.
He said the PTI chief had given up the foreign conspiracy rhetoric after playing havoc with the national interests, adding he left no other option but to surrender his fake rhetoric of the conspiracy, imported government and regime change.
He said the four years of PTI rule was a classic example of inefficiency, incompetence and lies. He claimed that the previous government had destroyed employment opportunities and caused inflation.
Mr Abbasi said the PML-N’s decision to form government was the most difficult in the country’s history and it had a political price.
“PML-N will pay a heavy price for forming a government in the upcoming elections,” he added.
He said the PML-N-led government had managed some relief to the nation amid difficult circumstances around the world.
Former federal minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, former provincial minister Sher Ali Khan, Malik Ibrar, member National Assembly Malik Sohail, member Punjab Assembly Jehangir Khanzada AND former MPA Umer Farooq also addressed the convention.