Pml-N backtracks on london consultations about army chief appointment.

ISLAMABAD -- Defence Minister Khawaja Asif Monday backtracked from his recent statement in which he had claimed that the issue of the appointment of new army chief was discussed during PM Shehbaz-Nawaz meeting held in London the other day. The minister 'clarified' that the decision to appoint new army chief is '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. A few days ago, speaking in Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath, Asif said he accompanied Premier Shehbaz to London to seek Nawaz Sharif's guidance on the issue of army chief's appointment. 'Basically, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and I visited Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to seek his guidance on the appointment of the army chief,' Asif said, adding that PTI chief Imran Khan wanted to make the army chief's appointment a controversial issue. Also, in an interview with Hamid Mir late Monday, Asif alleged that Imran was trying to make the army chief's appointment 'controversial' since last October. 'We often meet Mian Nawaz Sharif to discuss several issues [...] but no consultation has been held on this matter,' he reiterated, adding that the process of the crucial appointment had not even begun yet. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif quashed the reports about consultations over the appointment of new army chief between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif in London and disclosed that consultation over the subject has not taken place yet. Speaking to media persons outside the Parliament House, Kh Asif while reacting to the last day's address of PTI chief Imran Khan, said that Imran has changed his narrative on the American conspiracy against his government, adding that it will still be called a conspiracy. The Minister said it was the first time that Khan had denied something which he said earlier. 'He (Imran) denies everything. In the past four years, he has...