Reuters; Islamabad, Nov. 24 (Reuters) – Pakistan on Thursday appointed Lieutenant General Asim Munir to head the army, an organization that plays a highly influential role in leading the nuclear-armed states.
His appointment coincides with a dispute between the military and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has accused the military of playing a role in his downfall earlier this year and has led anti-government protests since.
Mounir is the son of a schoolteacher who grew up in Garrison Rawalpindi, former military officials say. He received a prestigious officer award, known as the “sword of honor,” for being top of his class at the military academy, an official told Reuters. In a country where the military has long played a dominant role in politics, Munir has also served in disputed territories with India, which borders China, and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s main financial backer.
Munir then headed his two most influential intelligence agencies in Pakistan. First he was with the Military Intelligence Service (MI) in 2017 and the Inter-Military Intelligence Service (ISI) in 2018. Director of ISI. Prime Minister Imran Khan. No reason was given for his dismissal.
current task
Mounir is currently serving as the Army’s Quartermaster General and is in charge of supplies. He is also the highest-ranking general after General Kamal Javed Bajwa, the person he replaced as chief of the military.
Munir will begin his three-year term as secretary of war on November 29, becoming the 17th secretary of war since Pakistan’s independence from Britain in 1947. This equates to about 30 prime ministers in the same period.
A former general who worked with Mounir described him as a “clear head”. Task
Mounir must fulfill his predecessor Bajwa’s promise to keep his army out of politics. Little is known about Munir’s own political affiliation, but analysts are skeptical that the Pakistani military could become a non-political institution.
Khan, who was wounded in a shootout during anti-government protests earlier this month, is the latest in a long list of civilian leaders who have accused the military of removing him from power. This includes the longest-serving prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who has held power.
The military has denied any involvement in Khan’s ouster, but analysts expect it will continue its military efforts to keep Khan, whom Mounir has vocally criticized, out of power.
