PM plays down question on another extension for Gen Bajwa

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan has faced pressure from the United States on the IMF-related issues.

In an interview with a Dunya News journalist, the prime minister also said he has so far not thought about giving another extension to Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa as November is still away.

Imran Khan described his government’s relationship with the military leadership as “exemplary.”

However, he also said that the next three months were “very important” for his government and it needs to rein in inflation during this period.

Imran Khan said that if opposition parties want to move a no-confidence motion against him, they were free to attempt that.

The prime minister said that he feels no threat from the “corruption-tainted” opposition parties, that his political allies are with him, and that his government will complete its five-year term.

When asked about giving another extension to the COAS General Bajwa, the prime minister said the new year has just begun and November is still away. “We will see to it when the times comes,” the PM said according to the interviewer, Khawar Ghuman.

In October 2018, the Imran Khan government announced a three-year extension for General Bajwa from November 2019 to November 2022.

Major General Babar Iftikhar, the military spokesperson, on Wednesday said that “baseless speculations” should be avoided about the extension.

The PM said his governments’ biggest failure was the delayed accountability as NAB cases were not being prosecuted in courts.

But the PM seemed quite upbeat about a recent investigation against Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, Ghuman said.

Imran Khan admitted that his party had shown lacklustre performance in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local bodies elections but he expressed confidence in Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and said that the PTI would perform well in the local bodies elections in the province.

Imran Khan also said that Pakistan was facing pressure from the United States especially on the issues related to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The government has recently tabled a supplementary finance bill in the National Assembly to abolish several tax exemptions. The measure was introduced to implement an agreement with the IMF.

“From the United States we are facing pressure,” Ghuman quoted him as saying and then added that the prime minister referred to the IMF.

Imran Khan said his government maintains good relations with both China and the US, according to the interview.

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