PM Shehbaz Sharif appoints Asim Munir as new Pakistan Army chief

Lieutenant General Asim Munir will be the new Pakistani Army chief, succeeding incumbent General Qamar Javed Bajwa who is set to retire on November 29 after a three-year extension.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif disclosed his choice on Thursday, ending intense suspense over the key post.

Bajwa, 61, has ruled out seeking another extension. Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, who had been in the race to become the Pakistani Army chief, has been nominated as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb made the announcement on Twitter, adding that the summary of appointments has been sent to President Arif Alvi.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the media that all matters had been settled according to the law and the Constitution and that the President should endorse the premier’s advice so that a “controversy may not arise”.

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He called on citizens to refrain from viewing it through a “political lens”, Dawn newspaper reported.

Both officers have also been promoted to four-star generals. The CJCSC is the highest authority in the hierarchy of the armed forces but the key powers including mobilisation of troops, appointments and transfers lie with the Chief of the army Staff which makes the person holding the post the most powerful in the military.

Munir also has a brief history with former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan, as he was removed from the post of ISI chief quickly after his appointment.

By appointing him as the army chief, the currently ruling PML-N hopes to negate Imran Khan’s rise.