General Asim Munir takes cost as Pakistan’s new Army chief

General Asim Munir on Tuesday assumed cost as Pakistan’s new Army chief, changing General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired after two consecutive three-year phrases.

By Press Trust of India: General Asim Munir, a former ISI head, assumed cost because the Pakistan Army chief on Tuesday, at a time when the cash-strapped nation was within the midst of a political slugfest between the federal government and opposition chief Imran Khan over the holding of snap polls and recent threats from the dreaded Taliban militants.

General Munir changed General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired after serving two consecutive three-year phrases because the Army chief within the coup-prone nation, the place the navy wields appreciable energy in issues of safety and international coverage.

Munir, who’s in his mid-50s, assumed cost at a powerful ceremony on the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, turning into the seventeenth Chief of the Army Staff. The ceremony was attended by senior officers, diplomats and politicians.

“I am happy that I am leaving the command of the Army in safe hands,” stated 61-year-old General Bajwa, who handed over the “baton of command” to his successor.

Gen Bajwa hoped the appointment of Gen Munir as the military chief would show to be constructive for each the nation and the military. He quoted a saying from American navy chief Douglas MacArthur, which states: “Old soldiers don’t die, they just fade away.”

“I will also into fade into irrelevance but my spiritual relationship with the army will remain,” he stated.

Read | Former ISI boss is Pakistan’s subsequent Army chief. All about Lt Gen Syed Asim Munir

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on November 24 nominated senior-most General Munir to essentially the most highly effective place within the coup-prone nation, the place the military has dominated for greater than half of its 75-plus years of existence.

He is the primary Army chief who has headed each highly effective intelligence businesses – the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI). His stint because the spy chief on the ISI was the shortest ever as he was changed by Lt Gen Faiz Hamid inside eight months on the insistence of then-Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2019.

His appointment coincides with a dispute between the navy and Khan, who blames the military for enjoying a job in his ouster in April this 12 months by way of a no-confidence vote.

Khan’s shut aide and former info minister Fawad Chaudhry final week stated that “until we see the conduct of the new army chief, we cannot say anything about it, but the role of the army in politics in the last 6 months is controversial, this role will need to be changed.”

General Munir was commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment and has been an in depth aide of Bajwa ever since he commanded troops within the Force Command Northern Areas as a brigadier below him, who was then the Commander X Corps.

Munir was later appointed chief of Military Intelligence in early 2017, and in October subsequent 12 months was made the ISI chief. But he was faraway from the place after a brief stint as head of the spy company.

It was stated on the time that then-prime minister Khan was not proud of him since he was believed to have introduced the alleged corruption of his spouse to his discover. Khan was additionally thought to have been irked by Munir’s resolve to go by the e book.

He was then posted as Gujranwala Corps commander, a place he held for 2 years, earlier than being moved to the GHQ as Quartermaster General. He is the primary military chief to be awarded the Sword of Honour.

Read | Political failure not navy: Pakistan military chief on 1971 Bangladesh conflict

The new Army chief must deal with a bunch of issues, together with the risk from militants. His inauguration comes a day after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)militant group known as off an indefinite ceasefire agreed with the federal government in June and ordered its militants to hold out assaults throughout the nation.

The TTP, often known as the Pakistan Taliban, was arrange as an umbrella group of a number of militant outfits in 2007. Its most important goal is to impose its strict model of Islam throughout Pakistan.

The group, which is believed to be near al-Qaeda, has been blamed for a number of lethal assaults throughout Pakistan, together with an assault on military headquarters in 2009, assaults on navy bases and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.

The new military chief assumes cost at a time when Pakistan’s reserves with the central financial institution stands at USD 7.8 billion, barely sufficient to cowl a month’s imports. The cash-strapped nation has secured about USD 13 billion in extra monetary help from its conventional allies China and Saudi Arabia.

But General Munir’s key take a look at could be find out how to stay steadfast on the choice by his predecessor that the Army would keep away from politics.

General Bajwa not too long ago stated that it was determined in February final 12 months that the Army wouldn’t intrude in politics however solely play its constitutional function.

Pakistan, a nation of 220 million, has been dominated by 4 completely different navy rulers and seen three navy coups because it was based. No prime minister has ever accomplished a full five-year time period below the current structure of 1973.

Meanwhile, Lt Gen Faiz Hamid and Lt Gen Azhar Abbas have opted to hunt early retirements, days after they had been shortlisted however not appointed to the highest positions.

Lt Gen Hamid has despatched his resignation to the excessive command. The authorities have already accepted his resignation, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Geo News additionally reported his resignation, quoting “family sources”.

It additionally reported that Lt Gen Abbas had additionally opted for early retirement, quoting his brother. He was working because the Chief of General Staff on the GHQ.

Both officers had been set to retire in April 2023.

It is uncommon that generals, who weren’t outmoded, opted to step down earlier than their scheduled retirement.

Sources stated this implies the brand new military chief can have an opportunity to nominate his males to the essential positions.

Read | Pakistan Army’s choice to stay apolitical will protect it from ‘vagaries of politics’, says Gen Bajwa

Published On:

Nov 29, 2022