Islamabad, November 19: Ahead of a formal announcement next week on the next Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan, former president of the Pakistan People's Party Asif Ali Zardari has blamed the country's former Prime Minister Imran Khan for baselessly politicizing the appointment process.

ARY News reported that Zardari said in a statement that the reputation of the institution will be damaged by politicizing the COAS appointment process. He added that the image of Defence institutions would be damaged because of this political controversy around the appointment process. Pakistan: Another Assassination Attempt on Imran Khan Possible, Says Islamabad HC Judge Quoting Intelligence Report.

According to ARY News Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Quaid Nawaz Sharif, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal's supremo Maulana Fazalur Rehman and Zardari had previously had a telephonic conversation to hold any recommendations regarding the CAOS appointment. Pakistan: Imran Khan Says Long March To Achieve Target 'No Matter What The Circumstances'.

Defence Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif has announced that the process of CAOS appointment will start on November 21 and the new army chief will be final by November 29. The same day, the current army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure is set to end.

Amidst all the political confusion surrounding the CAOS appointment scenario, Gen. Bajwa is not ready for his tenure extension, according to ARY News.

Before this, the former prime minister who is also chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan has been criticised by the ruling party for his statements that the new army chief must be appointed based on merit, instead of the traditional procedure.

As per past practice, the defence minister recommends five army personnel to the prime minister after which the PM sends a name for the final appointment to the president of Pakistan to be appointed as the CAOS.

Imran Khan had on November 16 alleged that the current PM Shabaz Sharif had violated the country's Official Secrecy Act by consulting his elder brother Nawaz Sharif on the new COAS appointment.

The Lahore high court also rejected a plea for appointing the next CAOS base on seniority. The court, however, observed that such a matter should be heard by a full court and suggested the petitioner approach the Supreme Court.

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