President Dr Arif Alvi Wednesday hoped that newly-appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir would help reduce the trust deficit among institutions, saying the military leadership is committed to steer clear of politics.

In an interview with a private news channel, President Alvi praised the army chief and his viewpoints. “The matter [appointment of army chief] has been settled nicely for the next three years,” he said, maintaining that the COAS appointment was done on merit.

Commenting on his meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan ahead of the crucial military appointment, the president said that the former prime minister was informed about being consulted after the summary is received, therefore, he added that the consultations were held accordingly.

The president, however, said that he should avoid commenting on the army chief’s appointment as this is the right of parliament.