The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday turned down a plea seeking the appointment of the senior most officer as the next COAS. The petition submitted by Advocate Najma Ahmed prayed that the court to direct the respondents to appoint the senior most person as the next army chief. The LHC bench rejected the plea by declaring it inadmissible and directed the applicant to move to the Supreme Court in the matter. The federal government, central law secretary of Islamabad, provincial secretary of establishment of Lahore, provincial secretary law of Lahore, and senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan were named as respondents in the petition. The plea further stated that judges are appointed on the basis of their seniority but this principle of seniority is set aside while appointing an army chief. Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif rejected the rumours about a deadlock on the shortlisted names and the exact time of the appointment process for the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS). While talking to journalists outside the Parliament House building, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was questioned about the rumoured deadlock on the COAS name between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP