Hours after receiving a summary about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s nominations for the next army chief and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), President Arif Alvi touched down in Lahore for a meeting with PTI chief Imran Khan.
Lt Gen Asim Munir has been named as the chief of army staff and Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza has been named as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
According to DawnNewsTV, President Alvi reached Lahore on Thursday afternoon to meet with Imran at the PTI chief’s Zaman Park residence, where he is recuperating from injuries he sustained in an assassination attempt.
PTI leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry were also present at Imran’s Lahore residence.
Speaking to reporters outside the Zaman Park residence after the meeting, Fawad said in a brief statement that Imran and Alvi had discussed the army chief’s appointment.
He went on to say that the president would be heading back to Islamabad.
“Between 6:30pm to 7pm, the Aiwan-i-Sadr will release a handout.
Everything will be done in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” he said.
The appointments were announced earlier today by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Twitter — a tweet which was deleted and swiftly put up again — capping weeks of intense speculation on the matter.
In her tweet, Aurangzeb said the premier made the choice while exercising his constitutional authority.