General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa remained one of the longest-serving chief of army staff in Pakistan’s history.
The 62-year-old handed over the baton of command to his successor General Asim Munir on November 29. He spent over 44 years in the military, as he joined the Pakistan Army in 1978 and got commissioned on October 24, 1980.
General Bajwa spent 2,190 days (six years) in his career with the armed forces. He succeeded General Raheel Shareef on November 29, 2016.
Extension
He was due to retire on November 29, 2019, at the end of his stipulated term, but was given a three-year extension in service by the then Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 19, 2019.
On November 28, 2019, the Supreme Court suspended the government order, observing there was no law to extend an army chief’s tenure.
However, the apex court granted a six-month extension to General Bajwa after being assured by the government that parliament would pass legislation on the extension/reappointment of an army chief within six months.
The notification extending General Bajwa’s tenure was finally issued on January 28, 2020, after the parliament passed a law to settle the issue pertaining to the extension of the army chief’s tenure.
Military diplomacy
General Bajwa’s proactive military diplomacy consolidated Pakistan’s position both internally and internationally. With six years of leading an Army which brought Pakistan closer to Middle East, ensured peace in the border regions with Afghanistan, improved internal stability and contributed towards national development, General Bajwa’s legacy as an Army Chief will be remembered both by the public in general and Army in particular.
Afghanistan issue
On Afghanistan, Gen Bajwa oversaw the construction of a border fence. On his watch, the army prioritised fencing to manage irritants in the difficult relationship with the former government in Afghanistan. From 2018 onwards, Gen Bajwa green-lit Pakistan’s facilitation of talks between the Taliban and the US in Doha. An agreement between the Taliban and the US, which eventually led to the drawdown of US forces from Afghanistan, was hammered out in Doha with Pakistan’s help.
Operation Raddul Fasaad
When Gen Bajwa assumed command, Operation Zarb-i-Azb had entered its final stages. At the time, he had indicated that, on his watch, the focus would be on consolidating gains from anti-terror operations and also ‘anti-corruption’ campaigns in Karachi.
He transitioned the military from heavy-kinetic operations to intelligence-based operations targeting terrorist holdouts and sleeper cells. This campaign was named Operation Raddul Fasaad, with the goal to tackle both terrorism and extremism as well as breaking the crime-politics-corruption nexus. This influenced the course of politics in the country, as the military leadership believed that while its officers and men were laying down their lives combating terrorism, civilian governance was not improving and was being constrained by corruption.
Criticism
General retired Qamar Javed Bajwa was heavily criticized by the former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan over his ‘alleged’ environment in throwing their governments. Specially after April, Imran Khan, and his party leaders started criticizing him by calling him ‘Neutrals’.
Farewell address
The outgoing COAS said he was thankful for being given the opportunity to lead the Pakistan Army, adding that it was a “great honour” for him. He said that during his six-year tenure, the army had always responded to his call regardless of whether it concerned terrorism or natural calamities.
“I am proud of my army that despite scarce resources, they defend the country’s boundaries from the ice-capped mountains of Siachen to the deserts of Thar.”
Gen Bajwa added that he will also fade into irrelevance but “his spiritual relationship with the army will remain”.
He congratulated Gen Munir on being appointed and hoped his promotion would be a cause for the progress of the country and the army.
“I am certain that under his leadership the army will reach new heights of success.”
