Pakistan Army Chief: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has picked Lieutenant General Asim Munir to succeed the outgoing Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. The Pak prime minister's pick is now waiting for the president’s approval. Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, 61, is scheduled to retire on November 29 after a three-year extension. He has ruled out seeking another extension.
The Pakistan Prime Minister's Office (PMO) will send the summary to President Arif Alvi who will notify the appointments of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee (CJCSC). Earlier, Pak PMO issued a brief statement announcing that it has received the summary from the Ministry of Defence for the appointments of the COAS and CJCSC.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza had been picked as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
Lt General Asim Munir
- Lt Gen Asim Munir is the most senior officer of the Pakistan Army. At the time of the retirement of Pakistan Army Chief Bajwa, he will be the most senior officer.
- Lt Gen Munir's four-year tenure as Lt Gen ends on November 27.
- Lt Gen Munir entered Army service via the Officers Training School programme and was commissioned at Frontier Force Regiment.
- Lt Gen Munir was promoted to the rank of a two-star general in September 2018.
- Asim Munir served as the DG of Military Intelligence in 2017 for a short tenure.
- Munir remained Pakistan intelligence wing Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Chief for 8 months in the year 2018.
- Lt Gen Munir received Hilal-i-Imtiaz, a military award, in March 2018
- Lt Gen Munir has served under Qamar Javed Bajwa, who was then Commander X Corps, in the Force Command Northern Areas as a brigadier.