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Pakistan names Lieutenant General Asim Munir as the new Army Chief

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DailyBiteNov 24, 2022 | 13:29

Pakistan names Lieutenant General Asim Munir as the new Army Chief

Lieutenant General Asim Munir. (Photo: India Today)

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday (November 24) picked Lieutenant General Asim Munir as the new army chief of the country, replacing incumbent General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Bajwa, 61, is scheduled to retire on November 29 after after a six-year term.

Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza has been picked as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

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Pakistan's Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb made the announcement on Twitter, saying that the PM has made the decision while exercising his constitutional authority.

Most powerful figure in Pakistan military: 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, reported PTI.

Politics over the appointment of army chief: After this appointment, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Twitter account quoted Imran Khan as saying: "when the summary comes, I and the president of Pakistan will act according to the Constitution and laws".

Bajwa was originally supposed to retire in 2019. However, his tenure was extended for three years by then-Prime Minister Imran Khan in Aug 2019, just three months before he was set to retire, reported the Dawn.

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Army's role in Imran Khan's ouster? The army chief's appointment coincides with a dispute between the military and Imran Khan, who blames the army for playing a part in his ouster earlier this year, reported Reuters.

Bajwa has said the military would have no role in national politics in the future, rejecting as "fake and false" Khan's claims that a US-backed conspiracy topped his government.

Last updated: November 24, 2022 | 13:29
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