MULTAN: Veteran politician Javed Hashmi says the Supreme Court should not have granted six-month tenure extension to the army chief.

Talking to newsmen here on Tuesday, he regretted that the country was being run through ` doctrine of necessity’ for the last 70 years.

“It is possible that all political parties give their vote in favor of the COAS extension but vote under pressure may strengthen an individual and not the state.

Country can only be strengthened by strengthening institutions,” Hashmi said.Neverthless, he said, the parliament should be taken into confidence before going for any legislation regarding the extension in the army chief tenure.

According to him, Pakistan was facing constitutional, economic and administrative crisis and only a competent leadership could put the country on the path of progress. “Unfortunately, we are facing dearth of visionary leadership. Sincerity and seriousness are the need of the hour but Imran Khan has adopted a fascist approach instead of democratic norms,” he said.

He said that media by and large was under full control of the rulers. He said that nation already hit hard by inflation might face further economic hardships.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2019