Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Thursday that the matter of awarding extension to the Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani will be looked into “when its time will come”.
“The matter will be looked into when the time comes. We are in no hurry,” Mr Gilani said when asked to comment on the issue during his interaction with a group of journalists here at his official residence.
The PM termed the statement on the issue by his defence minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, “unsuitable”.
Mr Mukhtar had said neither the Army Chief has asked for an extension nor the government intends to extend his service.
“That was an unsuitable statement. We will see what can be done when the time comes,” he said.
Mr Gilani’s comment come amid media reports that the United States is pressurising the Pakistan government to extend the tenure of General Kayani.
The Pakistan Army Chief is believed to have developed strong relations with the US administration and is in their good books for his role in the war on terror.