The process for appointing the new army chief has been initiated as the term of the incumbent General Qamar Javed Bajwa is ending on November 29. Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed that it had received a summary for the appointment of next army chief and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) from the Ministry of Defence.
Though the names of runner for the post have not been disclosed officially, the main contenders for the highest positions include, Lieutenant Generals Asim Munir, Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Faiz Hameed, Mohammad Amir, Azhar Abbas and Nauman Mehmood.
This appointment has captured the headlines in recent times, for both the right and wrong reasons, and it will be nice to put this chapter to a close at the end of this month.
It is unfortunate to see how this appointment has been politicised and there were a lot of unfounded rumours and speculation that were doing the rounds. Of course, this is a major development considering how important this position is, but at times it also appeared as if some of the coverage time could have been dedicated to the multiple crises facing the country currently.
The disproportionate attention and discourse surrounding this event is down to our history, and we can move past this trend by making each appointment according to merit and by avoiding any controversies.
Earlier, the defence minister had said that the much-anticipated appointment of the next army chief will be made in 48 hours.
Asif said that nominating candidates for the post of army chief is the prerogative of the General Headquarters (GHQ).
Rejecting rumours, the minister said that there is no civil-military tension over the matter. “COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa respects Nawaz Sharif,” he added.
Whoever is appointed next, he will most certainly have his hands full as soon as he takes on the job. One of the foremost challenges facing the incoming Army Chief is to adopt a firm stance in securing Pakistan’s borders as the South Asian theater is more volatile than ever before.
The unrest in IIOJK continues and there will need to be a calculated response to New Delhi’s hawkish ultranationalist stance. The situation at the Pak-Afghan border is also not stable, as there have been reports of the Taliban regime removing the barbed-wire fence straddling the Durand Line.
