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Pakistan set to get new Army Chief: Who are General Bajwa’s possible successors
General Qamar Javed Bajwa: The appointment has been controversial as former prime minister Imran Khan has said a new army chief should only be named after the country holds snap elections.
General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the chief of Pakistan’s army is set to retire on November 29, paving the way for prime minister Shehbaz Sharif to name a new commander. The appointment has been controversial as former prime minister Imran Khan who was ousted in April in a no-confidence vote has said a new army chief should only be named after the country holds snap elections.
Imran Khan also blamed Shehbaz Sharif for conspiring with the US to oust him while accusing the army of not doing enough to save his government.
Some of the leading contenders for the post are as follows:
Lieutenant General Asim Munir
The general from the Frontier Force Regiment has led the nation’s elite spy agencies- Inter-Services Intelligence- that focuses on security and military intelligence. He has served under General Bajwa’s direct command and was removed by Imran Khan within eight months of his appointment and replaced him along with an officer considered close to him. He is currently serving at the army headquarters as quartermaster general -- charged with overseeing supplies for all military units.
Read more: Pakistan army chief's family became billionaires in last six years: Report
Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza
The three-star general is the senior-most serving officer in the army after General Bajwa. As director general of military operations, he oversaw strikes against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other militant groups in the North Waziristan province, near the Afghan border, Bloomberg reported.
Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid
The most talked-about army commander on the list is believed to be an Imran Khan loyalist who was in charge of the ISI when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. General Faiz Hamid was photographed sipping tea at Kabul’s iconic Serena Hotel as well, Bloomberg reported.
Lieutenant General Azhar Abbas
General Azhar Abbas Abbas currently holds the second most important position in the military- chief of general staff- and oversees the military’s operational and intelligence business.
Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood
Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood has headed an ISI department that looks into foreign policy and related security issues. He is now serving as the president of the National Defense University, Pakistan’s top military education institution.
