Lt Gen Asim Munir named Pakistan’s new army chief

*Lt Gen Asim Munir named Pakistan’s new army chief*

*STORY HIGHLIGHTS*
Lieutenant General Asim Munir will succeed Qamar Javed Bajwa who is set to retire on November 29 after serving his three-year extension. 

*REPORT BY SAHIL PATHAN*
Pakistan’s Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb made the announcement on Twitter, saying that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif picked Let Gen Munir to helm the top military post. She further said that Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza had been picked as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

The summary sent by the Cabinet awaits the nod of President Arif Alvi, whose seal of approval will finalise the whole process.

Minutes after the announcement, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif took to Twitter saying that the government came to a decision after following the law and the constitution and urged not to view the appointment through a “political lens”.
*General Qamar Bajwa delivers his last speech as Pakistan Army chief*
Asif hoped that the president would not make the appointments “controversial” and would endorse the advice of the premier. “This will also help our country and the economy to get on track. Currently, everything is at a standstill.”
“This is also a test for President Alvi, whether he will follow political advice or the constitutional and legal advice,” he was quoted as saying.
“As the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, it is his duty to protect the country from political conflicts,” Asif added.
*Will President Alvi consult former PM Imran Khan?*
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s official account quoted its chief Imran Khan as saying, “After the summary comes, I and the president of Pakistan will act according to the Constitution and laws.”
Khan claimed that President Arif Alvi will consult him on the summary.
“I am the head of my political party and the president will definitely consult me,” he was quoted as saying by TIN NETWORK.
*Who is Lt Gen Munir?*
Lt. Munir is the senior most officer after outgoing Gen. Bajwa, and is currently serving as Quartermaster General in the Pakistan Army.
In October 2017, Lt Gen Munir was appointed as the Military Intelligence director general, and in October next year was made the Inter-Services Intelligence chief.
But his stint as the top intelligence officer was short-lived as he was replaced by Lt Gen Faiz Hamid within eight months, on the insistence of then-prime minister Imran Khan.