Munir takes baton of army chief
OUTGOING ARMY HEAD BAJWA EXPRESSES FAITH IN NEW APPOINTMENT; HANDS OVER COMMAND IN SOLEMN CEREMONY
General Asim Munir assumed command of the Pakistan Army from the outgoing commander, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, at a change-of-command ceremony at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, yesterday.
The event brought together senior armed forces officers, both serving and retired, and many foreign guests and visitors. The new Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, who assumed command on November 27, also attended the ceremony.
General Syed Asim Munir became the 17th army chief of the country.
Positive addition
In his speech, Gen Bajwa congratulated his successor, saying that he had full faith that Gen Munir’s appointment “will prove to be positive for the country and army”.
In addition to “being a Hafize-Quran, he is a professional, competent and principled officer. I am certain that under his leadership the army will reach new heights of success,” Gen Bajwa said of his successor.
In his farewell speech, Gen Bajwa thanked the Almighty for giving him the opportunity to serve in the army. He said that during his six-year tenure, the army had always responded to his call whether it was terrorism,
law and order challenges, Line of Control escalation, or natural calamities.
Praising the sacrifices of the soldiers, he said: “When I asked them for sweat, they gave me blood.”
He said that he is proud of the army that despite scarce resources, “defend the country’s
boundaries from the icecapped mountains of Siachen to the deserts of Thar”.
A day earlier, Gen Bajwa held farewell meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi, in which both leaders praised the outgoing officer’s services.
Sharif yesterday telephoned
Munir and congratulated him on the assumption of his responsibilities as the country’s new army chief.
The prime minister said commanding the excellent force of the Pakistan Army was a great honour and expressed confidence that Munir would contribute towards strengthening
the defence of the country.
He wished General Munir success in effectively dealing with all challenges pertaining to security and counter-terrorism.
He assured the new army chief of the full cooperation of his government in areas relating to defence and security.