Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Friday said that he will not take an extension and retire after five weeks, sources told.

The COAS, according to the sources,  said that the army will not play any role in politics.

It is pertinent to note that the extended term of General Bajwa is ending on November 29 and the government has announced that the appointment of his successor will be made in due course and according to the Constitution.

General Bajwa was appointed as COAS on 29 November 2016 by the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif Prime Minister Sharif. After the completion of his first term of three years as the chief of the army staff, General Bajwa’s tenure as army chief was extended for another three years, starting from November 2019 until November 2022, by the former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan has called for deferring the appointment, saying the incumbent rulers are not qualified to take a decision in this regard.

Earlier, at a recent luncheon attended by the COAS General Bajwa at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington during his recent US trip, he had said the armed forces have distanced themselves from politics and want to stay out of it in the future as well.

Gen Bajwa also reiterated his resolve to leave after the completion of his term as the army chief this November.