Source: Asia Times:
Dark-horse candidate
According to Hussain, there is little chance of Lieutenant-General Raheel Sharif being appointed, because he is not seen as a strong enough commander. Tariq Khan, on the other hand, could be considered a dark-horse candidate.
Over the course of his 36-year military career he has commanded successful missions against militants, and is reportedly an outspoken advocate of eliminating terrorists on Pakistani soil.
“The person who is clear in his mind that this [terrorism] is an existential threat is General Tariq Khan,” says Hussain. “He is clear in his mind about what to do about it. So, in that capacity, among all the four, he will be the best choice. For the next three-year tenure of the Army chief, proactive military action will most likely be needed. And for that reason he will probably be the right person.”
It looks Tariq will bag it.