Pakistan Prime Minister names Lt Gen Asim Munir as new army chief

The current army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, is to step down on November 29 after serving for six years.

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 Sahir Shamshad will take charge as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Aurangzeb added in her tweet.

Munir will replace General Qamar Javed Bajwa who will end his six-year tenure as army chief on November 29.