New Delhi: Lieutenant General Asim Munir to be the new Army Chief of Pakistan. He was the former Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan. He has succeeded Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa as the army chief.
After speculations and predictions circling the announcement of a new army chief, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif chose Lt Gen Asim Munir for the role on Thursday. Meanwhile, Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza will be the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
This might give rise to a political tussle in the country as former PM Imran Khan was the one who extended Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tenure which was to end back in 2019. Gen Bajwa started his farewell visits to formations on November 1. The appointment of the new army chief might be a new chapter in the ongoing political crisis in Pakistan. The recommendations and advice have been made before President Arif Alvi.
Lt Gen Asim Munir is known to be a close aide of Gen Bajwa after he commanded troops in the Force Command Northern Areas as a brigadier when Gen Bajwa was then Commander X Corps. Lt Gen Munir was appointed Military Intelligence director general in 2017 and was made the Inter-Services Intelligence chief in 2018. He was replaced from the role after eight months after the insistence of former PM Imran Khan.
Lt Gen Mirza the director general of military operations during the last two years of retired Gen Raheel Sharif’s tenure and has been part of the supervision team behind the operation against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.