On Tuesday, General Asim Munir became the new chief of army staff (COAS) during a ceremony held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
General Qamar Javed Bajwa transferred authority to General Munir, making the latter the nation’s seventeenth army head.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chose Gen Munir to succeed Gen Bajwa last week, resolving days of controversy regarding the selection. According to Radio Pakistan, General Munir will become the seventeenth army chief to lead the Pakistan Army.
Before the ceremony, both Gen Bajwa and Gen Munir lay a wreath and offered fateha at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada (Monument to the Martyrs) in GHQ.
The celebration, which began shortly before 10 a.m., began with the GHQ military band performing national anthems and a variety of folk songs.
In attendance were the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, senior active and retired officers, diplomats, and government officials.
Later, in a telephone discussion, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the army chief and promised him the government’s complete cooperation in defense and security-related matters.
“Gen. Munir is a capable, professional officer”
Before turning over command to Gen Munir, the outgoing COAS addressed the ceremony and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead the Pakistan Army.
Gen Bajwa congratulated Gen Munir on being appointed his successor and hoped that his promotion would contribute to the nation’s and army’s development. He continued by stating that his relationship with General Munir dates back 24 years.
“In addition to being a Hafiz-i-Quran, he is a talented, principled, and professional officer. I am confident that the army will achieve unprecedented heights of accomplishment under his command.”
General Bajwa felt that the selection of General Munir as military leader would be beneficial to both the nation and the army. He stated that he was passing the army over to his “competent and capable son.”
Reflecting on his military career, General Bajwa stated that the voyage, which began decades ago, was nearing its conclusion.
“I am grateful to God for allowing me to work for this wonderful army and to command it,” he said, emphasizing that it was an “honor” for him.
During his six-year term, he stated that the army had always reacted to his calls, regardless of whether they involved terrorism in different regions of the country or natural disasters.
“When I asked for sweat, they gave me blood instead”
General Bajwa stated that both the country’s allies and enemies honored the military’s sacrifices. “I am proud of my troops for defending the country’s borders from the ice-capped highlands of Siachen to the deserts of Thar despite little resources.”
General Bajwa also cited a proverb attributed to American military leader Douglas MacArthur: “Old warriors do not die; they simply fade away.”
He concluded his remarks by praying for the success of the new army chief and the Pakistan army.
Who is Asim Gen. Munir?
Gen Munir is an exceptional officer, but due to the technicalities involved, it was previously assumed that he may remain the traditional dark horse in the race for the role of army chief.
Gen Munir’s upcoming retirement date was November 27 at the time of his candidacy for the position, which provided a technical obstacle to his ascension to the top position. In a break from the usual, he was immediately promoted to the rank of four-star general upon being appointed army chief.
Gen Munir was elevated to three-star general in September 2018, however, he did not assume command until two months later. He joined the military via the Mangla Officers Training School and was commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment.
Since he commanded troops in Force Command Northern Areas as a brigadier under the outgoing army leader, who was then Commander of X Corps, he has been Gen Bajwa’s close aide.
Lt. Gen. Munir was later appointed Military Intelligence director general in early 2017 and Inter-Services Intelligence director in October of the following year.
However, his tenure as a chief intelligence officer was the shortest in history, as he was replaced by Lt Gen Faiz Hamid after eight months at the request of then-prime minister Imran Khan.
He served as commander of the Gujranwala Corps for two years before being transferred to the General Headquarters as quartermaster general.
