No consultation with Nawaz Sharif over army chief's appointment: Khawaja Asif.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday debunked reports of consultation with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif over the army chief's appointment, reiterating that the decision was 'strictly Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's prerogative'.

Talking to reporters outside the parliament today, he said: 'Consultations have not yet taken place on the army chief's appointment. These are just newspaper reports.'

Asif clarified that the name of the new army chief had not been decided yet.

'The prime minister has discretion regarding the army chief's appointment. Therefore, the prime minister will make a decision on the appointment,' he added.

Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa is set to retire on Nov 29. The outgoing chief of army staff ended all speculations about him getting another extension when at an event in Washington he confirmed that he would be stepping down at the end of his extended tenure this month.

Last month, the defence minister stated that the process officially begins around Nov 18 and by Nov 29 the country will have a new army chief.

Asif's remarks today come as speculations intensify on the future army chief, a process that has entered the political discourse of late due to ousted prime minister Imran Khan.

According to a Dawn report, the Sharif brothers have reportedly decided in a London huddle that the prime minister will not buckle under any 'pressure' to make the all-important...