DHAKA: Despite a clear message sent by the outgoing army chief and another top military post now vacant, it seems the prime minister will take his time in announcing the successors.

According to a statement issued by the PM House on Monday, the premier said that his government would ‘keep the interests of the country supreme’ while appointing the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), reports dawn.com.

The spokesperson to the prime minister quoted him as saying that his government was fully cognizant of its constitutional obligations in this regard.

In an unexpected press release issued by the ISPR on Sunday, Pakistan army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani publicly announced that he was not seeking extensions in any capacity, despite several rumours doing the round.

‘My tenure ends on 29th November 2013. On that day I will retire,’ he said, in an apparent effort to quell speculation that he may be seeking an extension.

The post of the CJCSC also fell vacant after the military bade CJCSC General Khalid Shameem Wynne farewell Monday after 42 years of service.

BDST: 2053 HRS, OCT 07, 2013
RoR/SRS