PM Shehbaz to pick new army chief 'within days'.

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI -- Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said Friday that the appointment of next army chief would be decided within a few days. Talking to a private news channel late Friday, he said, 'The prime minister has the constitutional authority to exercise his power to appoint the army chief.' He said the consensuses had been made for the appointment and the process will be initiated very soon adding 'in my opinion, any further delay in the key appointment will not be appropriate'. Replying to a question regarding consultation with coalition parties on the key appointment, he said the prime minister can discuss but the deciding authority rests with him. Rana Sanaullah said the agenda of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI's) long march to influence the army chief appointment has been failed. PTI chief Imran Khan's narrative was based on lies and baseless accusations on political opponents, he added. 'It is not a suitable time to conduct early elections and Imran Khan knows very well that general elections would be held on its scheduled time,' Rana Sanaullah said. According to a private news channel, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the matter of the next army chief's appointment would be settled 'in a day or two.' Sanaullah said: 'I believe the prime minister has completed this pro-cess (of consultation about the army chief appointment) and will bring it to paper, today or tomorrow or the next two days, [it] takes no time.' Upon further questioning, the interior minister seemingly reproached the interviewer and said: 'I will also request you that this is a matter of a day or...