Gen Asim Munir takes charge of Pakistan Army

RAWALPINDI       –       Newly appointed Army Chief Gen Asim Munir took over the command of Pakistan Army at an impressive change of command ceremony at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi yesterday. Outgoing Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa handed over the command cane known in military as “Malacca cane” to Gen Asim Munir symbolizing the change of command of the Pakistan Army. Gen Munir is the 17th Chief of the Army Staff of Pakistan army. Soon after taking over command, the Ministry of Defence notified him as Army Chief for next three years. Earlier, the outgoing army chief was given guard of honour by a smartly turned contingent of the Pakistan Army. Delivering his farewell speech on the occasion, Gen Bajwa congratulated Gen Asim Munir’s elevation as army chief. He expressed the confidence that his promotion will prove to be highly positive both for the country and Pakistan Army. Gen Bajwa said Gen Asim Munir is Hafiz-e-Quran, a professional and capable officer and a man of principles. Gen Bajwa was confident that under the leadership of Gen Asim Munir, the Pakistan Army will achieve more successes and further serve and defend the country. Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa talking about his career in the Pakistan Army said he is honoured to have served this great Army. “During his six-year tenure as Army Chief, Pakistan Army tackled challenges be it the situation on the line of control, terrorism or the natural calamities,” remarked Gen Bajwa. He said he is proud of the Pakistan Army that despite limited resources it is fulfilling the responsibility of defending each nook and corner of the country. The outgoing chief further said that Pakistan today is an abode of peace because of our sacrifices which are also acknowledged both by our foe and friends. The ceremony was attended amongst others by federal cabinet members including Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardar, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal. Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani also attended the event. Chief MInister Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister Punjab Pervez Ellahi, Chief Minister GB Khalid Khursheed, Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Qadoos Bazenjo attended the event. Former Speaker Asad Qaiser and former defence minister Pervez Khattak also attended the event. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Air Chief Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Director General ISI Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, and serving and former army Generals attended the event. When The Nation asked former army chief Gen Raheel Sharif, he confirmed that he had come all the way from Riyadh where he heads Islamic Military Alliance. Before turning up to the event, Gen Asim Munir and Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa laid floral wreaths at the martyrs’ monument at the GHQ. After taking over the command, Gen Asim Munir saw the outgoing chief Qamar Javed Bajwa off at the gate of the Army Stadium with a full military salute. Before elevation to the post of army chief, Gen Asim Munir served as Quarter Master General at the General Headquarters. He also served as Corps Commander Gujranwala and headed both the ISI and the Military Intelligence. Gen Munir is the holder of the Sword of Honour. He was awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz in March 2018. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif soon after the ceremony, telephoned Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir and congratulated him on assumption of his responsibilities as Pakistan’s new army chief. The prime minister said that commanding the excellent force of Pakistan Army was a great honour and expressed confidence that Gen Asim Munir would further contribute towards strengthening the defence of the country. He wished Gen Munir success in effectively dealing with the challenges pertaining to security and counter-terrorism. He assured the new army chief full cooperation of his government in the areas relating to defence and security. Gen Munir thanked PM Sharif for his wishes and the words of felicitations.

Article source: https://www.nation.com.pk/30-Nov-2022/gen-asim-munir-takes-charge-of-pakistan-army