Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Thursday that the prime minister’s meeting with candidates for the appointment of the Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is a “routine matter”.The information minister, in a tweet, claimed that a “certain section” wanted to “play games” on the appointment of the new DG ISI but “failed”.
“Now it is being said that PM will hold interviews for new DG ISI. Meetings before appointments on such posts is a routine matter, and turning this process into a controversy is inappropriate,” claimed Chaudhry.The minister also assured everyone that the process to appoint the new DG ISI would be “completed” soon.Chaudhry issued the clarification after a local publication reported that the notification for the new DG ISI would be delayed by a day or two as PM Imran wishes to interview the shortlisted officers. The publication reported the story citing a federal minister, who spoke to them on the condition of anonymity.
‘Consultation between PM, COAS over DG ISI completed’
A day earlier, Chaudhry had said that the consultation process between PM Imran and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa over the appointment “has been completed”, and that the process of a fresh appointment “is underway”.According to him, a consensus between the premier and the COAS was achieved.“…the process after the new appointment has started. Once again the civil and military leaderships have proved that for the sake of the country’s stability, integrity and development, all the institutions are united and equal,” the minister had said in a tweet.
On October 12, during a post-cabinet briefing, Chaudhry also had said that the federal government would adopt legal and constitutional procedures over the appointment of DG ISI.The premier had the authority to appoint DG ISI and had a detailed meeting with COAS General Bajwa in that regard, he had told the media.
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