LHC to hear plea seeking to appoint senior most officer as army chief

• The LHC to hear plea seeking to appoint army chief on seniority basis. 
• Court will hear the plea on November 16. 
• General Bajwa is set to retire on November 28. 

Justice Faisal Zaman Khan will hear a plea calling for the upcoming army chief to be appointed on the basis of seniority.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) will hear the case on November 16. The petition submitted by Advocate Najma Ahmed prayed that the court direct the respondents to appoint the seniormost person as the next army chief.

The outgoing army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, will retire on November 28 after spending six years in the position.

The LHC's registrar first objected to the petition on the grounds that the petitioner was not an aggrieved party however, accepted it as maintainable and set it for a hearing as an objection.

The federal government, central law secretary of Islamabad, provincial secretary establishment of Lahore, provincial secretary law of Lahore, and senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan have been named as respondents in the petition.

The petitioner argued that the appointment procedure for the most critical post in the country was “unlawful and unconstitutional”. The plea also stated that judges are appointed on the basis of their seniority but this principle of seniority is set aside while appointing an army chief.

All three-star generals can become army chief: Asif

Addressing a press conference last month, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that anyone from among the five nominated names could be appointed as the next chief of army staff.

The defence minister said that in the past, names other than the five suggested have also been chosen for the military chief’s position.

Replying to a query regarding the appointment of the army chief on the basis of seniority, the defence minister said: “All three-star generals are eligible for this.”