Pakistan New Army Chief: In Pakistan, the retirement date of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa is nearing. After November 29, the command of the Pak Army will be in the hands of the new general. In such a situation, on the one hand, the announcement of the name of the new army chief is awaited, on the other hand, the political tension in Pakistan is also high. A slight mistake in this decision can create a new crisis in Pakistan.
In this case, the names of 6 senior generals eligible to become army chief have been sent to the Ministry of Defense and through it to PM Shehbaz Sharif. It is believed that within the next two days the decision in this regard will also be announced. On November 27, the term of Lieutenant General Asim Munir, who is standing at the forefront of the current seniority list and is considered an important contender for the post of Army Chief, is coming to an end.
Announcement can be made after cabinet meeting
Out of the list sent by the Pak Army, appointments are to be made for two senior posts. One officer will become the Army Chief and the other will be made the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. It is the prerogative of the PM to say the appointment of the army chief in Pakistan, but taking a decision in this regard is very difficult for the current PM Shahbaz Sharif. It is believed that it can be announced after the cabinet meeting called on 24 November. After the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif will go on a two-day tour of Turkey.
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As a process, PM Shehbaz Sharif will send his recommendation for appointment to the President for approval, but there is a big screw here. This is because former PM Imran Khan is indicating that his party leader and President Arif Alvi’s Imran Khan will apparently consult him about this. Not only this, he also talked about playing with President Alvi while staying within the purview of the law. However, in this episode, Imran Khan also added that it doesn’t matter if anyone is appointed army chief.
can be sent for review
According to Pakistani law, the President does not have the right to stop the appointment process of the army chief. However, if he wants to screw up, he can send it to PM Shahbaz Sharif for review. Whereas, if he is sent back to him for the second time, he will have to accept it.
The term of the current Chief of the Pakistan Army, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, is ending on November 29, but if sources are to be believed, if President Alvi tries to reconsider the process regarding the appointment of the army chief, then the matter can also go to the Supreme Court. This will create a new instability in Pakistan.
The major reason for this political tussle is the ruling PML-N’s liking for General Asim Munir and Imran Khan’s dislike for him. On the other hand, General Faiz Hameed is wanted by Imran, but the former Prime Minister has neither the right nor the way to make him the army chief. In such a situation, the Imran camp can only try to stop this process for some time. At the same time, if the matter escalates, one can expect a third officer to become the army chief.
Take a look at the officers of the Pak Army who are to be posted on the posts of Army Chief and Chairman Joint Chief of Staff-
Lieutenant General Asim Munir- Joined the army through Officer Training Institute Mangala. Commissioned Officer in Frontier Force. Presently posted as Quarter Master General in Pak Army. Gujranwala was the Corps Commander from June 2019 to October 2021. Earlier, DG ISI was created in 2017 and 2018 in the Intelligence Corps of the Army. However, at the behest of the then PM of Pakistan, Imran Khan, he was removed from this post within about 8 months. According to the Pak media, the main reason for this was that General Munir, as DGISI, had allegedly reported a suspicious transaction close to Imran. Angered by this, Imran removed him and in his place Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed was made the head of ISI.
General Sahir Shamshad- He is an officer of the Sindh Regiment and is currently leading Pakistan’s most important 10th Corps. Before this, he has also held a big position like Chief of General Staff in Pak Army.
Lieutenant General Azhar Abbas- At present he is the Chief of General Staff in the Pak Army. Has worked closely with the previous chiefs of the Pak Army i.e. General Raheel Sharif and Ashfaq Parvez Kiyani.
Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood- Baloch is an officer of the regiment and currently heads the National Defense University in Islamabad. He has been the Corps Commander of Peshawar. Along with this, he has also held an important position in ISI.
Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed- Baloch is an officer of the Regiment and at present the Corps Commander is Bahawalpur.Former PM Imran Khan Faiz Hameed, who was very close to him, has also been the DG of ISI. By removing Lieutenant General Asim Munir, the command of ISI was handed over to him.
Lieutenant General Mohammad Amir- He is an officer of the Artillery Corps in the Pak Army and is currently the Commander of the Gujranwala Corps. Asif Ali Zardari has also been his Military Secretary in the President’s Office.
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