PM Shehbaz picks Lt Gen Asim Munir as new army chief

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to appoint Lieutenant General Syed Asim Munir as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

The announcement was made by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Twitter.

وزیراعظم پاکستان محمد شہباز شریف نے آئینی اختیار استعمال کرتے ہوئے لیفٹنٹ جنرل ساحر شمشاد مرزا کو چئیرمین جوائنٹ چیفس آف سٹاف اور لیفٹنٹ جنرل سید عاصم منیر کو چیف آف دی آرمی سٹاف مقرر کرنے کا فیصلہ کیا ہے۔ اس بابت سمری صدر پاکستان کو ارسال کر دی گئی ہے۔

— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) November 24, 2022

Taking to Twitter,  Marriyum Aurangzeb said the premier has made the appointments while exercising his constitutional powers. She further said that Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza has been picked as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

The information minister added that the summary of the appointments has been sent to President Arif Alvi for ratification.

The names were finalised following the special federal cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair.

Speaking to the media minutes after the announcement was made by the information minister, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the “advice” regarding new appointments had been forwarded to President Arif Alvi.

Gen Asim Munir was the senior most general in the list of seniority while Gen Sahir was number 2 on the list.

Who is Lieutenant General Asim Munir?

Lieutenant General Syed Asim Munir is the senior most officer after outgoing Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and is currently serving as Quartermaster General in the Pakistan Army.

Lt-Gen Munir entered the service via the Officers Training School (OTS) programme in Mangla and was commissioned into the 23rd Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment.

He was appointed DG of the Military Intelligence in early 2017 and then ISI Director General in October 2018.

He was posted as Gujranwala Corps commander, a position he held for two years, before being moved to the General Headquarters as the quartermaster general.

Lt-Gen Munir is the recipient of the Sword of Honour from the 17th course of the Officers Training School in Mangla. Also, he is the recipient of the Hilal-i-Imtiaz.

Who is Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza?

Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza is a three-star general in the Pakistan Army who is currently serving as a commander for Rawalpindi Corps.

The recipient of Hilala-e-Imtiaz (Military) has served in senior leadership positions in his career, including director-general military operations (DGMO), Chief of General Staff, and Adjutant General at the General Headquarters.

Mirza was commissioned in the 8th Battalion of the Sind Regiment as second lieutenant in 1985. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in 2019.