Pakistan Times
Aug. 25, 1989
By Our Special Correspondent
ISLAMABAD—Col. (Retd.) Ghulam Sarwar Cheema, Minister of State for Defense, told a news conference on Thursday evening that the issue regarding the retirement of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Admiral Iftikhar Ahmad Sirohey, had been settled. “The decision will be announced later,” he stated.
He told a questioner that there was no possibility of the matter to be taken to the Supreme Court. “I am sure there should be no need for such a step,” he added.
The Minister was asked a volley of questions in respect of the rumors relating to the “differences” between the President and the Prime Minister on the issue. Avoiding a direct answer, he said that the matter had been enlarged to the extent of distortion. “The President is the most respected personality in the country. The Prime Minister herself is the Minister of Defense. They both know what they are doing or saying. If you have some questions regarding the statements attributed to them, you should better put it to them. You should not expect me to comment”.
Referring to the “Sirohey affair”. he said the whole controversy had been generated from a news item which had been printed ‘Without prior consultation. He requested the journalists to be careful in respect of the defense affairs. and asked them to refrain from speculation in such sensitive matters.
“The Minister of State for Defense said that the Constitution was clear in most of the cases as to who will appoint whom and who will retire whom. However, because of the hasty development in the past, the Constitution is silent in certain matters. In that case, he said, the government has to follow the acts Parliament, rules, regulations, customs and precedence.
“Every person, who gets a job, has to be retired, precisely according to the already set rules and period. I think the situation is crystal clear”.
He said that the baseless speculations and rumors could harm the national interest and could benefit the enemies psychologically, morally, strategically and tactically.