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.”