Prime Minister Imran Khan extends Bajwa’s tenure for 3 years

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has given extension to Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa for next three years.

In this connection, Prime Minister office issued a notification on Monday. The announcement comes nearly three months before Gen Bajwa was due to retire.

The notification said, “General Qamar Javed Bajwa is appointed Chief of Army Staff for another term of three years from the date of completion of current tenure.” “The decision has been taken in view of the regional security environment,” it added.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa was appointed as the chief of army staff by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in November 2016.

The announcement comes amidst critical developments on Pakistan’s eastern and western frontiers. His extension marks the second time in nearly a decade that the country’s top general had their traditional three-year term extended.

Tensions between Pakistan and Indian flared this month after New Delhi decided to strip occupied Kashmir of its special constitutional status and imposed a crippling curfew in the territory that has continued for weeks. Islamabad angrily slammed the decision, taking the matter to the United Nations Security Council and expelling India’s ambassador and suspending bilateral trade.

Relations between the two countries had already been strained after a suicide car bombing in February that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in occupied Kashmir led to an aerial dogfight between Pakistani and Indian jets.

The country observed a ‘Black Day’ on Thursday to coincide with India’s independence day celebrations, in solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir.

The decision also comes as Pakistan is playing a key role in ongoing peace talks between the US and Afghan Taliban that aim to secure a withdrawal of American troops in exchange for insurgent promises that Afghanistan will not be used as a safe haven for groups such as Al Qaeda or the militant Islamic State.

Analysts talking to DawnNewsTV termed the development “positive” in view of the existing geopolitical situation, which has been defined by rising hostilities in occupied Kashmir and progress in the Afghan peace process, which stands at a critical stage.

 

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