ISLAMABAD: Defense Minister Khawaja Asif will give a briefing to the Upper House of parliament today (Wednesday) on making former chief of army staff (COAS) General (r) Raheel Sharif the first commander-in-chief of the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism (IMAFT), a proposed coalition of 39 countries that will have its headquarters in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
According to details, the Senate had sought details from the federal government regarding the new assignment of the former army chief.
Sources said that the defence minister had contacted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in this regard and took him into confidence.
Earlier, talking to a private TV channel, the defence minister had confessed that the federal government had given formal approval to the appointment of General (r) Raheel Sharif.
On this, the Senate chairman asked the minister to inform the House about the rules and regulations, and also on whose permission this appointment was made.
Khawaja Asif said that the House would be informed after contacting senior officials, and added that the Senate would also be taken into confidence.
“The defence minister had long consultations with leader of the House in Senate Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq,” sources said.