Lt Gen Asim Munir appointed new army chief of Pakistan

Pakistan – Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has named Lieutenant General Asim Munir as the new army chief.Information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced the appointment on Twitter on Thursday, ending weeks of speculation over what some call the most powerful position in the South Asian nation.

Pakistan’s military has directly ruled the country of 220 million people for nearly half of its 75-year history. Lieutenant General Asim Munir previously served as Corps Commander Gujranwala, and headed Pakistan's two most influential intelligence agencies - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence. Lieutenant General Munir's stint as ISI chief was just eight months, the shortest ever, as he was sacked by then Prime minister Imran Khan in 2019. Lieutenant General Munir is also a holder of the Sword of Honour. He was awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz in March 2018.