Lt Gen Asim Munir appointed as new Pakistan Army chief
Lt Gen Asim Munir_ former chief of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency_ was on Thursday appointed as the new chief of the Pakistan Army by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif_ as a successor to General Qamar Bajwa.
Munir_ who was set to retire on Nov 27_ two days before Bajwa completes an extended tenure of almost six years was among the six generals who were in the race for the top post.
People familiar with the matter said Munir s reputation as a no-nonsense military officer known for his by-the-books approach to all matters helped clinch the post for him.
Pakistan s information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb made the announcement on Twitter. Pakistan PM Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has decided to appoint Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [Committee] and Lt Gen Syed Asim Munir as the Chief of the Army Staff using the constitutional authority_ she wrote on Twitter in Urdu.
Further_ a summary of the formal proposal regarding the appointment was sent to President Arif Alvi.
Alvi was appointed by former premier Imran Khan and belongs to Imran Khand-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
After receiving the proposal_ the PTI in a tweet wrote the president will act according to the Constitution and laws in the matter of the army chief s appointment. Former PM Khan also claimed on Wednesday that the president will definitely consult him on the appointment of the next army chief.
Munir_ who belongs to the Frontier Force Regiment_ has had stints heading both the ISI (in 2019) and Pakistan s Military Intelligence (2016-2018). He was removed as ISI chief by the former prime minister after a brief stint as his no-nonsense attitude and by-the-books approach did not go down well with Imran Khan.
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