Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Lt. Gen. Asim Munir as the new army chief, ending days of uncertainty that have engulfed the nation.
Munir, whose nomination was approved by President Arif Alvi on Thursday night, will take over the 600,000-strong nuclear-armed army on November 29 when acting General Qamar Javed Bajwa retires after a six-year term.
Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad was nominated for the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
‘Sword of Honor’ Winner
Munir joined the Pakistani Army through the Mangla Officer Training School (OTS) program, where he earned the prestigious Sword of Honor, awarded to the best performing cadet.
He has commanded a division that oversees areas of northern Pakistan, including the disputed region of Kashmir, where he worked alongside Bajwa, who later led Pakistan’s army’s elite X Corps.
Munir, who currently serves as the quartermaster general at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi, is considered an “impeccable reputation” officer within the Pakistani army.
He was appointed head of Military Intelligence (MI) in 2017, the unit in charge of looking after the internal affairs of the army. After his promotion to three-star general the following year, he was assigned the position of the country’s main spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
However, his eight-month stint as ISI chief remains one of the shortest in the army’s history. Political commentators said he was ousted after falling out with former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Munir has previously served in Saudi Arabia, one of Pakistan’s key allies, Basit added.
Munir was deputed in Saudi Arabia as part of the Pakistan army’s close defence cooperation.
He proved himself ‘worthy’
Retired army officer Muhammed Zeeshan said Munir was his superior in the army and has served in prominent operational and training appointments.
Zeeshan, currently director general of the Center for Peace, Security and Development Studies think tank in Islamabad, said Munir’s career postings show that he was groomed for high-level positions throughout his career.
“Based on his posts and the results of his courses, it is quite evident that he proved himself worthy of where he is today,” he told Al Jazeera.
Zeeshan said that Munir served as the head of MI when Bajwa was the head of the army, and he performed well.
“However, as head of ISI, it was a bit unfortunate to find yourself caught up in an evolving political environment. But the fact that he departed gracefully when asked to leave says a lot about his maturity,” Zeeshan said.
Regarding the challenges Munir faces, the retired brigadier said that these are difficult times in the country.