Saudi Arabia, UAE envoys call on COAS Gen Asim. According to ISPR, topics of relevance to both countries were discussed during the various talks that took place.
According to statements made by the armed forces on Thursday, representatives from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
According to the military’s media wing, matters of mutual interest were discussed during the army chief’s separate talks with the Saudi envoy Nawaf Saeed A. Al Milkiy and the UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Alzaabi. These discussions took place in Pakistan.
The meetings took place on Thursday and Friday, respectively, two days after the event at the GHQ on Tuesday in which General Asim was sworn in as the 17th Army chief of Pakistan.
The ceremony marking the change of command took place after a hiatus of six years. This was due to the fact that General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has since retired, was granted a three-year extension in 2019.
Read more about the new Chief of Army Staff, General Asim, here.
A few hours after Gen. Asim assumed his new post, Prime Minister Shehbaz gave the new army leader a call and extended his congratulations on his promotion.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan is reported in an official handout as stating, “It is no less than a blessing that Pakistan has obtained such a capable and daring army head,” which may be found in full here.
Gen. Asim is a pioneer in the field of military intelligence, holding the position of head of both the Military Intelligence (MI) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Although he was in charge of both secret agencies, General Ahsanul Haq was also the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
Following his graduation from Officer Training School (OTS) Mangla in 1986, General Asim was commissioned into the army and given the sword of honour. When the summary was forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office for the purpose of appointing an army leader, he held the position of number one in the order of seniority.
The difficulties that lie ahead for the next chief
A change in command in the army took place at a time when the country is experiencing various challenges, including a worsening of political crises and an increase in the activity of militant groups. However, many analysts believe that Gen. Asim faces his single greatest difficulty in attempting to rehabilitate the public’s perception of the nation’s security apparatus.
During the six years that General Bajwa was allowed to extend his tenure, the Pakistani military was subjected to criticism, initially from the PML-N while it was in the opposition and, more recently, from the party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
After the change of command ceremony, a retired three-star general who was his immediate superior made the following comment: “Knowing General Asim, I believe he will keep the army away from political problems.”
He is an excellent member of the force. He is completely honest and trustworthy. After the ceremony, a different retired general offered his thoughts to the Express Tribune, saying, “My advise to him will be to stay out of politics.”
At the latter end of his term in office, General Bajwa made an endeavour to remove the military from all political considerations. It is believed that Gen. Asim was one of the officers who vehemently campaigned for the army to maintain its status as a politically non-participatory institution during a time when the state institution was coming under increased scrutiny for its alleged involvement in political activities.
The coalition government that is led by Prime Minister Shehbaz, who appointed General Asim as army chief, had the hope that the military, which is now under the direction of General Asim, will no longer participate in political activities.
