When India and Pakistan came tantalizingly close to engaging in combat after the Pulwama suicide bombing in February 2019, Munir was in charge of the ISI.
Lieutenant-General Asim Munir has been chosen by Pakistani Chancellor Shehbaz Sharif to lead the army, which has a significant influence over the country’s government despite possessing nuclear weapons.
The choice, which ends weeks of rumors, is currently awaiting the president’s assent, according to DAWN.
Colonel Qamar Javed Bajwa, who will retire later this month after serving a six-year tenure, could be replaced by Munir, who served as Pakistan’s top spy.
His potential appointment comes at a time when the army and ex-prime minister Imran Khan are at odds over Imran Khan’s resignation earlier this year, which Khan accuses the army of being a factor.
After declaring that Munir has already been selected as the new chief, subject to the president’s approval, Defense Secretary Khawaja Asif informed reporters that the decision was made on the basis of merit, the law, and the constitution.
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Munir’s appointment might have an impact on Pakistan’s precarious economy, its relations with its neighbor India as well as Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, including its shift toward China or the United States. The army has always played a role in both domestic and international politics.
In a statement released on Wednesday, departing army leader Bajwa rejected the assertions made by Khan that an U.s.-based conspiracy led his government and said that the military would no longer be involved in politics on the national level.
Khan, who suffered gunshot wounds earlier this month while participating in anti-government demonstrations, has pledged to keep pushing for new elections and has planned to join a demonstration on Saturday near Rawalpindi, where the army’s headquarters are located.
