Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure extended for another 3 years

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s term has been extended for another three years, a media report said on Monday.  “General Qamar Javed Bajwa is appointed Chief of Army Staff for another term of three years from the date of completion of current tenure,” read the brief notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

“The decision has been taken in view of the regional security environment,” the Dawn reported, citing the decision made by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Gen Bajwa was appointed as the chief of Army staff by former jailed prime minister Nawaz Sharif in November 2016.  The 58-year-old general was expected to retire this year.

On the issue of Kashmir, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had earlier said that Pakistan has initiated multiple efforts to “redress” the situation in Kashmir and will support the Kashmiri people “whatever effort it takes.”

Pakistan has announced that it will observe August 14 as ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’ and August 15 as ‘Black Day’ after India scrapped Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories.

Government has initiated multiple efforts to redress Kashmir crisis, Bajwa said while celebrating Eid with the Pakistani troops on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Bagh sector. Our resolve to solve the Kashmir dispute is as strong as desire for peace, he was quoted as saying by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media arm of the Pakistani Army.

He said India was trying to shift the global attention away from Jammu and Kashmir to the LoC and Pakistan.

On the occasion of Eid, Bajwa said Islam teaches peace but also to sacrifice and stand for the truth. We stand with our brothers and sisters in Kashmir and no matter how much time and whatever effort it takes, we will prove equal to the challenge, he said.