Lieutenant General Syed Asim Munir, 57, has been appointed as Pakistan’s next Chief of Army staff. The top general is currently serving as Quartermaster General in the Pakistan Army.
Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza had been picked as Pakistan's chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).
The annoucement by the government of Pakistan puts to rest weeks of speculation about the change in guard at the top of Pakistan's military.
Lt Gen Asim Munir will succeed the outgoing army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Who is Lt Gen Asim Munir?
Among the senior most officers of the Pakistan army, Lt Gen Asim Munir has commanded the XXX Corps, known as Triple X Corps – a major wing of the Pakistan army, along with Pakistan Air Force’s Eastern Air Command.
Holder of the prestigious Sword of Honour, given for outstanding performance at the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul, Lt Gen Munir has held coveted positions like the Director-General of the ISI among others during his long, illustrious military career.
A recepient of Hilaal-e-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence), one of the highest honours given to both civilians and military officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces by the Government of Pakistan, Lt Gen Munir has been noted for his "meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of Pakistan, world peace, cultural or other significant public endeavors".
His appointment by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will need the Pakistan president’s nod.
Key decision maker
Lt Gen Asim Munir joined the Pakistan army via the Officers Training School programme in Mangla, and was subsequently commissioned into the military's Frontier Force Regiment.
Appointed Director General of Military Intelligence in 2017, he subsequently became the the Inter-Services Intelligence chief.
Lt Gen Munir was then posted as Gujranwala Corps commander, a position he held for two years, before being moved to the General Headquarters as the Quartermaster General.
A key decision-maker in the higher echelons of the Pakistan military, Lt Gen Munir has been closely involved in shaping the nuclear nation’s security policies.
