PM Shehbaz has selected Lt Gens Asim Munir and Sahir Shamshad Mirza to head the army and CJCSC, respectively.

On Thursday, Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister, chose Lt Gen Asim Munir to succeed General David Petraeus as the new chief of army staff.

Marriyum Aurangzeb, the minister of communications, made the claim on Twitter, claiming that the premier made the choice in accordance with his constitutional prerogative. She said that Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza had been selected to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

وزیراعظم پاکستان محمد شہباز شریف نے آئینی اختیار استعمال کرتے ہوئے لیفٹنٹ جنرل ساحر شمشاد مرزا کو چئیرمین جوائنٹ چیفس آف سٹاف اور لیفٹنٹ جنرل سید عاصم منیر کو چیف آف دی آرمی سٹاف مقرر کرنے کا فیصلہ کیا ہے۔ اس بابت سمری صدر پاکستان کو ارسال کر دی گئی ہے۔

— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) November 24, 2022

Important occasions

Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza will remain CJCSC while Lt Gen Asim Munir will soon take over as COAS.

The president, according to the minister of communications, has already received the appointment summary.

The minister of defense hopes the president won’t describe the selections as “controversial.”

Imran Khan, the leader of the PTI, states after receiving the report, “I and the president of Pakistan will act in accordance with the Constitution and laws.”

General Nadeem Raza of the CJCSC, who is leaving his position, meets with the president and prime minister.

The three armed services can work together under the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The Prime Minister’s and both of the Prime Ministers’ CJCSCs serve as the Principal Military Advisers.

She continued by saying that President Arif Alvi has received a synopsis of the same.

Minutes after the announcement, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif addressed the media, saying that the problem had been resolved in accordance with the law and the Constitution and urging the country to avoid seeing it through a “political lens.”

He expressed the hope that the president will support the premier’s counsel and refrain from labeling the selections as “controversial.”

In order to avoid a “controversy,” the defense minister emphasized that the president should accept the premier’s recommendation. “This will also aid in the recovery of the economy and our nation. Everything is currently at a stop.

He said that this is also a test for President Alvi to see if he would listen to legal and constitutional advice or political advice. He stated of Alvi, “It is his duty to safeguard the country from political concerns,” as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

ایڈوائس صدر علوی کے پاس چلی گئی ھے.اب عمران خان کا امتحان ھے وہ دفاع وطن کے ادارے کو مضبوط بنانا چاہتا ھے یا متنازعہ. صدر علوی کی بھی آزمائش ھے کے وہ سیاسی ایڈوائس پہ عمل کرینگےیاآئینی وقانونی ایڈوائس پہ. بحیثیت افواج کےسپریم کمانڈرادارے کو سیاسی تنازعات سےمحفوظ رکھنا انکا فرض ھے

— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) November 24, 2022

Imran and Alvi will each talk.

Imran Khan was quoted as stating, “When the summary arrives, I and the president of Pakistan would act in line with the Constitution and laws,” on the PTI’s official account.

His comments follow Imran’s declaration that President Alvi would “certainly” contact him as soon as the summary for the selection of the new army commander arrived at his office the day prior.

“President Arif Alvi will undoubtedly talk to me about the summary for the army chief’s appointment and make a decision in accordance with the law and the Constitution. On Wednesday, he told reporters at his Zaman Park home, “I am the leader of the party that Dr. Alvi belongs to.

Shibli Faraz, a senator for the PTI, stated after the names were made public: “President Alvi has a moral duty to confer with the party chairman, and I think he should.

This is not a barrier. As Imran Khan has stated, whatever occurs would follow the law and the Constitution.

Alvi and Shehbaz are contacted by the departing CJCSC for final talks.

President Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz attended farewell meetings with retiring CJCSC General Nadeem Raza.

In a parting meeting, Gen. Raza contacted President Alvi, according to a statement from Aiwan-i-Sadr.

The statement read, “The president commended General Nadeem Raza’s efforts for national defense.” The president sent Gen. Raza his best wishes.

Separately, a video of Gen Raza and PM Shehbaz conversing at the PM House was posted by the PML-N. “The prime minister praised Gen. Raza for enhancing national security and for his contributions to the army.”

COAS appointment controversy

It was originally planned for departing COAS Qamar Javed Bajwa to retire in 2019. But only three months before he was scheduled to leave office, in August 2019, then-prime minister Imran Khan decided to extend his term by three years.

Bajwa had stated months ago that he intended to retire this year, despite rumors that he may ask for another extension.

The general made it quite clear that he had no intention of continuing when he visited the United States and again when he spoke at the National Security Workshop at the National Defence University recently. Later, at least a few times, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed his intention to resign.

The choice of the next army commander is occasionally referred to as one of the major subplots in the ongoing political crisis rocking the nation, which started earlier this year after the filing of a no-trust motion against Imran.

When presented with the vote of no-confidence, Imran had such strong reservations about Gen Bajwa’s retirement strategy that he assumed the political action was motivated by Gen Bajwa’s imminent retirement. According to a recent press conference by senior military leaders, he had thus promised Gen. Bajwa an indefinite extension in an effort to prevent the then-opposition from voting against him.

On Nov. 1, Gen. Bajwa visited the Army Air Defence Command to begin his farewell visits before moving on to the Armed Forces Strategic Forces Command the next day. Since then, he has silently visited several formations.

Gen. Bajwa recognized in his departure speech that the military has come under fire for “unconstitutionally participating in politics,” but he also criticized political parties for mistakes and their intolerance of opponents.

He emphasized the necessity for the restoration of political stability and urged political stakeholders to consider their attitudes as the “army has started its catharsis.”