Despite Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif reaching an understanding on ‘no extension regime’, reports are making rounds that the army chief will be appointed Field Marshal of the Pakistan Army.
Veteran journalist Arif Nizami in his talk show, DNA on Channel 24, says Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif believes in a ‘no extension regime’. “The prime minister”, Nizami says, “doesn’t believe in extension of a common government officer or an army chief.”
DNA on Channel 24 co-host Chaudhry Ghulam Hussain believes Field Marshal will be an honorary post. “The Constitution of Pakistan does not contain any article about a Field Marshal. You have to pass an amendment in case the Field Marshal is not an honorary designation,” says Hussain. “Raheel Sharif, in one form or the other, will continue his services for the country.”
Nizami says Ayub Khan was the first and only Field Marshal in the history of Pakistan. “Ayub Khan, however, declared himself as the Field Marshal. He came to power through a coup. He also held the posts of army chief and president when he declared himself the Field Marshal.”
Commenting on the successor of General Raheel Sharif, Nizami says the incumbent army chief will be instrumental in determining his successor. “He (Raheel Sharif) is a plain-speaking professional general. Surely, he’ll choose a person who’d continue the mission of ridding Pakistan off the menace of terrorism.”
The veteran journalist says he too isn’t sure what authorities army chief would be given as a Field Marshal. It is a possibility that General Raheel would be given the post of some kind of anti-terrorism czar, says Nizami. “He could be made a part of the National Security as Field Marshal.”
“Both Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar went to London to convince Nawaz Sharif over the army chief’s extension. The prime minister, however, did not pay heed to their advice.”
Nizami adds that the announcement pertaining to Field Marshal will be made by September 6, if not August 14. He says that an agreement has been reached in this regard.