ISLAMABAD: Despite a clear message sent by the outgoing Army chief and another top military post now vacant, it seems the prime minister will take his time in announcing the successors.

According to a statement issued by the PM House on Monday, the premier said that his government would “keep the interests of the country supreme” while appointing the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

The spokesperson to the prime minister quoted him as saying that his government was fully cognisant of its constitutional obligations in this regard.

In an unexpected press release issued by the ISPR on Sunday, Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani publicly announced that he was not seeking extensions in any capacity, despite several rumors doing the round. “My tenure ends on 29th November 2013. On that day I will retire,” he said, in an apparent effort to quell speculation that he may be seeking an extension.

The post of the CJCSC also fell vacant after the military bade CJCSC General Khalid Shameem Wynne farewell today after 42 years of service.

At a special ceremony held here at Joint Staff Headquarters and attended by all services chiefs and senior officers, a smartly turned out joint services guard presented salute as to the outgoing chairman.

In the statement issued today, Sharif said that while expectations regarding announcement of the successor to the outgoing CJCSC before October 8 were reasonable, the issue needed comprehensive consideration due to the fact that the office of the COAS was also falling vacant on November 29.

The spokesperson said the prime minister had decided to announce the names for both the appointments at the same time.

In a statement issued after consultations with his senior aides, the prime minister did not specify when he would make the announcement.

A subtext of the media note from the Prime Minister’s Office on the day CJCSC Gen Khalid Shameem Wynne retired from service carried a candid admission that the government had not done its homework for choosing his successor till Gen Kayani in a surprise move announced that he would retire from military service next month on completion of his extended tenure.

With the government not immediately appointing Gen Wynne’s successor, the position will, as per convention, now remain with the most senior service chief in the committee — Gen Kayani in this case — till the appointment of the next CJCSC.

Moreover, Prime Minister Sharif earlier on Monday held a consultative meeting with Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammd Sarwar and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to discuss appointments on the important military posts of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Chief of Army Staff.