Pakistan Government dismisses reports of replacing army chief General Raheel Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Government today dismissed as "baseless" the reports that it was contemplating to replace army chief General Raheel Sharif, saying it has complete trust on the military's top command.

"We need an army chief like General Raheel Sharif who has earned national and international fame and because we need him to fight militants," Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan told media here.

Khan said that any talk or reports about changing the army chief were "totally baseless".

"It is a baseless speculation. We have complete trust in the incumbent top command of our military," he said.

He said that such "baseless rumours are being spread by enemies of Pakistan."

General Raheel was appointed in 2013 end as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), which is three-year tenure post unless the army chief resigns or removed by the government.

The government may also extend the tenure after the completion of initial three years.

General Raheel is considered close to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and comes from a decorated military family.