Pakistan gets new army chief
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – Gen. Asim Munir has been appointed as the new chief of the Pakistan Army for a three-year term, the country’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif announced on Thursday.
Gen. Munir, who previously served as head of the country’s premier intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was the senior-most three-star general among a list of six sent by the Defense Ministry to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Munir also served as director general of Military Intelligence in 2017.
Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the second senior-most lieutenant general, has been appointed as the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), Asif said.
Both officers have been promoted to the rank of four-star general.
A formal summary seeking an official nod from President Arif Alvi has been sent to the President’s Office, the minister said.
According to the country’s constitution, the president can return the summary in case of an objection to the Prime Minister’s Office for review. However, the summary will stand implemented after a period of 14 days if the premier sticks to his decision.
Munir, a career military officer, had been appointed as the Director General of ISI in 2018 but was replaced only after eight months due to reported differences with the then Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He reportedly informed the ex-premier about the alleged involvement of his family members in corrupt practices.
Munir, who will assume the charge of the world’s 6th largest army on Nov. 29 following the retirement of the incumbent Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, previously served as the Corps Commander Gujranwala as well.
The new CJCSC was serving as the commander of the crucial Rawalpindi Corps, which also deals with the security of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. CJCSC heads the committee comprising all the three forces’ chiefs – the chief of Army Staff, the chief of Air Staff and the chief of Naval Staff.
Gen. Mirza also represented Pakistan in the inter-Afghan dialogue that paved the way for the Taliban’s return to Kabul in August last year.
The two officers are considered close aides of the outgoing army chief.
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