Pakistan’s New Army Chief Is Lieutenant General Asim Munir
Islamic:
Pakistan on Thursday appointed Lieutenant General Asim Munir as commander of the army, an organization that plays a hugely influential role in governing the nuclear-armed nation.
Pakistan’s defense ministry said Munir, who also served as Pakistan’s spy chief, will take over from outgoing General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who will retire at the end of this month after a six-year term.
His appointment coincides with a dispute between the military and former prime minister Imran Khan, who blamed the army for being involved in his ouster earlier this year.
“It’s based on values, the law and the constitution,” Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told reporters after announcing Munir as the new head.
The military has historically played a huge role in both domestic and foreign politics, and Munir’s appointment could affect Pakistan’s fragile democracy, its relationship with its neighbour. India and Afghanistan are ruled by the Taliban, as is its pivot to China or the United States.
On Wednesday, outgoing army chief Bajwa said the army would have no role in national politics going forward, dismissing Khan’s “fake and untrue” claims that a conspiracy US-backed head of his government.
Khan, who was injured in a gun attack earlier this month during anti-government protests, has vowed to continue calling for early elections and plans to lead a protest on Saturday in Rawalpindi, where the army’s headquarters are located.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
Featured video of the day
Shraddha Walkar sent SOS to police 2 years ago, it was ignored