PAK NAMES FORMER I.S.I HEAD AS NEW ARMY CHIEF
NEW DELHI: Lt Gen Asim Munir, a former head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, was on Thursday appointed the new Pakistan Army chief by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, ending intense speculation about choosing the successor to Gen Qamar Bajwa.
Munir was considered the dark horse among the six generals who were in the race for the top post as he was set to retire on November 27, just two days before Bajwa completes an extended tenure of six years. People familiar with the matter said Munir’s reputation as a no-nonsense military officer known for his by-the-book approach to all matters helped clinch the post for him.
The appointment was announced by Pakistan’s information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Twitter. She posted in Urdu: “The Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has decided to appoint Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff [Committee] and Lt Gen Syed Asim Munir as the Chief of the Army Staff using the constitutional authority.”
Pakistan on Thursday named Lieutenant-General Asim Munir as chief of the army, an organisation that plays an extraordinarily influential role in the governance of the nuclear-armed nation.
Munir, currently quartermaster general, will replace General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who is retiring this month after serving as chief of army staff since November 2016.
His appointment coincides with a dispute between the military and former prime minister Imran Khan, who blames the army for playing a part in his ouster earlier this year.
“It is based on merit, law and as per constitution,” defence minister Khawaja Asif told reporters after announcing Munir as the new chief.
Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza had been picked as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
Asif told the media after the appointments that the “advice” had been forwarded to President Arif Alvi, adding that all matters had been settled according to the law and the constitution.
The appointment was later approved by President Alvi, who belongs to Khan’s party, GEO TV, a local news channel reported. Munir will have a three-year term replacing General Qamar Javed Bajwa, whose six-year extended term ends on November 29.
Pakistan’s military, the world’s sixth largest, holds undue influence over the nation and has staged at least three coups since independence in 1947, ruling for more than three decades.
Even during periods of civilian rule, the army chief has long been considered the real kingmaker and the appointment is freighted with huge political significance.
The army chief also has to handle multiple domestic security threats from rising militancy, as well as the delicate balance of power with arch-rival India, against who Pakistan has fought three wars.
Munir, the most senior of six officers considered for the top job, previously served as head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy bureau.
He takes over at a time when Pakistan is riven by political strife, with Khan rallying supporters to stage mass protests pressing the government to call a snap election. “The political process is very weak and democratic institutions are almost at a collapse,” analyst Zahid Hussain told AFP. “In this situation, the army automatically becomes an arbiter of power.”
Munir is the 17th chief of the army since Pakistan gained independence from Britain in 1947, a period that has seen almost twice as many prime ministers in office.
Little is known about Munir’s political affiliation, but analysts were sceptical that the army would be able to honour a pledge by outgoing chief Bajwa to keep the military out of national politics.
“The army continues to be in the game of politics,” said author and political analyst Ayesha Siddiqa. “Munir will now have to find a way to run a hybrid government without being unnecessarily visible.”