Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that former Army Chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa exerted pressure and issued threats to block the appointment of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir as Army Chief. He said General Bajwa initially attempted to have General (retd) Faiz Hameed appointed to the post and later proposed other names.
Speaking in a television program, Khawaja Asif said that in the past, the government’s constitutional authority to appoint an Army Chief had never been challenged in such a manner. He added that General Bajwa applied unusual pressure regarding the appointment.
The defence minister further claimed that the events of May 9 were a joint plan between General (retd) Faiz Hameed and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, aimed at reversing the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir.
He added that such incidents could not have been carried out by the PTI founder alone. According to Khawaja Asif, there is room for additional cases against General (retd) Faiz Hameed, as he maintained contacts even after retirement and continued to hold significant influence.
