The federal government formally announced General Asim Munir as the new chief of army staff (COAS) and General Sahir Shamshad Mirza as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), respectively, on Friday.
President Arif Alvi approved the brief to name both of the senior military leaders on Thursday, putting an end to the uncertainty surrounding important military appointments.
The announcements from the Ministry of Defence stated that as a result, the current CJCSC Gen. Nadeem Raza will step down on November 27 and the COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa will retire on November 29.
“In exercise of powers conferred by Article 243(4)(b) of the Constitution […] read with Section 8A of Pakistan Army Act 1952, the president on the advice of the prime minister is pleased to approve the promotion of PA-25031 Lt Gen Syed Asim Munir […] to the rank of General with immediate effect and his appointment as Chief of the Army Staff for a period of three years with effect from 29th November 2022,” a notification read.
Politicians from both the treasury and opposition benches praised the military officers after their appointments and expressed confidence in their ability to uphold the nation’s standards.
After being appointed to high-level positions, the two top military officers also met with PM Shehbaz and President Alvi. The government representatives wished them luck in their new roles.
The Prime Minister’s Office and the Aiwan-e-Sadar, respectively, hosted the sessions.
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