On Thursday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Lieutenant General Asim Munir as the new chief of army staff (COAS) of Pakistan, bringing an end to weeks of extreme conjectures and political tussle between parties in the country. “The Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has decided to appoint Lt. Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCSJ) and Lt. Gen. Syed Asim Munir as the Chief of the Army Staff COAS using the constitutional authority,” Pakistan Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a tweet.
She said a summary of the same had also been sent to Pakistani President Arif Alvi. On Wednesday, the Pakistani government confirmed it had received a Ministry of Defense (MoD) brief containing a “name list” of new COAS appointments which included 6 names. “The Prime Minister’s Office has received a brief from the Department of Defense, including the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Committee (CJCSJ) and the names of panel for the appointment of the Army Chief of Staff.
Read More: PMO receives summary for top military appointments
The Prime Minister will make appointments according to the established procedures,” the prime minister’s office (PMO) said in a statement. Ex COAS Gen. Bajwa, plans to retire next week after a three-year extension. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that a summary had been transferred from the Ministry of Defense to the PMO. “Remaining steps will be completed soon,” he said in a tweet.
Pakistan’s defense minister has warned opposition leader and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying the coalition will deal with him after the appointment process for the new army chief is completed. “The process will be completed in 2 to 3 days. “I will negotiate with Imran Khan,” Pakistan’s defense minister said in a comment on the floor of the Pakistan National Assembly, hinting at a formal announcement of the key appointments within the next three days. This comes after pressure to appoint a new army chief began when Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif wrote a letter to the defense ministry on Monday asking for an outline of potential candidates.
