During the 17th Chief of Army Staff Change in Leadership Ceremony, General Bajwa handed over command to General Munir. The ceremony was attended by the chiefs of all of Pakistan’s armed forces as well as prominent civil and military officers.
On Tuesday, the Pakistan Army held its change of command ceremony at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. During the ceremony, outgoing army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa officially passed the baton to General Asim Munir as the 17th chief of the army staff (COAS) of Pakistan. General Asim Munir will now serve in this role.
At the ceremony, in addition to delegations from other countries, there were members of the federal cabinet present, as well as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Air Chief Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, and other high-ranking civil and military authorities.
During his departure message, General Bajwa congratulated Asim Munir on his promotion to the position of army chief and stated his confidence that Munir’s new position will prove to be highly beneficial not only for Pakistan but also for the Pakistan Army.
He stated that General Munir is a man of principles in addition to being a capable officer who operates with professionalism. General Bajwa expressed his conviction that, with Asim Munir at the helm, the Pakistani armed forces will do even greater things, and that they will continue to serve and protect the nation.
In addition, the outgoing Chief of Staff of the Army stated that he feels privileged to have served in the military. “Pakistan Army handled various obstacles, be it the situation on the line of control, terrorism, or the natural calamities,” he said during his six-year stint as the chief of the Pakistani Army. “Pakistan Army” is an acronym for Pakistani Army.
He expressed his satisfaction with the military, saying that “despite limited resources, it is fulfilling the obligation of safeguarding each nook and corner of the country.” He is proud of the army for this accomplishment.
“Pakistan is the home of peace today due of our sacrifices,” he continued, “which are also recognised by both our opponents and friends.”
Before the event began, Generals Bajwa and Munir each lay a flower wreath at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada, which represents the place where martyrs are honoured.
On November 24, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif put an end to days of speculation by appointing General Munir as the new head of the Pakistani Army. General Munir is the highest-ranking general who came on the scene after General Bajwa.
Since Pakistan gained its independence in 1947, General Munir has been the country’s 17th army chief to take charge of the Pakistan Army.
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence, which are considered to be the two most powerful intelligence services in the country, are both former employers of the newly appointed leader of the military (MI).
On Sunday, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza began his tenure as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. He had previously been appointed to this position (CJCSC).
General Mirza assumed what is theoretically the most senior position in the military but is regarded a ceremonial role after he succeeded General Nadeem Raza as the commander-in-chief.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan praised General Bajwa for his service.
On Monday, General Bajwa had separate farewell conversations with the president and the prime minister. During their discussions, the president and the prime minister wished him well and expressed their gratitude for his service. In the afternoon, Prime Minister Shehbaz hosted a luncheon in General Bajwa’s honour at the Prime Minister House.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan expressed his gratitude to General Bajwa for his service to the Pakistan Army, the country’s defence, and the country’s interests.
During his farewell speech, Shehbaz remarked that the army, under the leadership of General Qamar, had provided exemplary services during a number of crises. These crises included the removal of Pakistan’s name from the grey list maintained by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the climate-induced floods that inundated almost half of the country. Shehbaz thanked General Qamar for his leadership.
He stated that the armed forces, under the command of General Bajwa, had vanquished the threat posed by terrorism with valour and bravery. He went on to say that the outgoing chief of the army had taken command of the army during one of the most difficult times in history.
