Lt. Gen. Syed Asim Munir, seen right here on Nov. 1, has been appointed to exchange Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa as head of Pakistan’s military when Bajwa completes his time period on Nov. 29. Munir, Pakistan’s former spy chief, begins his new function amid bitter feuding between Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and former premier Imran Khan. Khan has accused Bajwa of enjoying a job in his ouster, a cost Bajwa has denied.

W.Okay. Yousufzai/AP

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W.Okay. Yousufzai/AP

Lt. Gen. Syed Asim Munir, seen right here on Nov. 1, has been appointed to exchange Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa as head of Pakistan’s military when Bajwa completes his time period on Nov. 29. Munir, Pakistan’s former spy chief, begins his new function amid bitter feuding between Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and former premier Imran Khan. Khan has accused Bajwa of enjoying a job in his ouster, a cost Bajwa has denied.

W.Okay. Yousufzai/AP

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has named the nation’s former spy chief as head of the army, the knowledge minister mentioned Thursday, ending months of hypothesis in regards to the new appointment.

The military has traditionally wielded enormous political affect in Pakistan, ruling it for half of its 75-year historical past, and in addition oversees the nation’s nuclear program. Like neighboring China and India, Pakistan has nuclear arsenals and a missile system, which is principally geared toward India.

Lt. Gen. Syed Asim Munir replaces Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who completes his six-year prolonged time period on Nov. 29. Munir begins his new function amid bitter feuding between Sharif and former premier Imran Khan. Khan has publicly accused Bajwa of enjoying a job in his ouster, a cost the outgoing military chief has denied.

Pakistan’s Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa arrives for a army parade to mark Pakistan National Day in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2022. He is retiring early subsequent week.

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Pakistan’s Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa arrives for a army parade to mark Pakistan National Day in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2022. He is retiring early subsequent week.

Anjum Naveed/AP

Khan needs snap elections and for Sharif to step down. Sharif, who changed Khan by a no-confidence vote in parliament in April, has rejected the demand, saying the following polls can be held as scheduled in 2023.

There was no speedy remark from Khan about Munir, who was director normal of the Inter-Services Intelligence when Khan was in workplace. Khan fired Munir with out clarification.

On Thursday, Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif advised reporters that Munir’s nomination as the military chief was “based on merit, law and according to the constitution.” He mentioned he hoped that Alvi wouldn’t make the important thing appointments “controversial” and would endorse Sharif’s choice with none delay.

“It will also help our country and the economy to get back on the right track, as right now everything is at a standstill,” he mentioned.

Azim Chaudhry, a senior political analyst, advised The Associated Press that Munir held key positions below Bajwa, together with head of army intelligence. He mentioned he hoped the brand new military chief would preserve the army away from politics, consistent with Bajwa’s coverage.

Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb additionally mentioned Sharif had named Lt. Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza because the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee to exchange Gen. Nadeem Raza, who retires this week.

It is just not clear if President Arif Alvi will instantly approve the appointments as he’s a former member of Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf social gathering. On Thursday, Alvi and Khan met in Lahore to debate Munir’s nomination. Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf social gathering didn’t touch upon the assembly. Alvi was anticipated to problem a press release about his assembly later Thursday.

According to constitutional specialists, Alvi was sure to approve the appointments.

Aitzaz Ahsan, a senior constitutional knowledgeable, mentioned that Alvi may delay the approval of the appointments for 25 days.

Also on Thursday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan mentioned Sharif on Thursday had promoted Munir to the rank of four-star normal and that Munir wouldn’t retire this week even when Alvi delays the endorsement of his appointment as the military chief.

Khan prolonged Bajwa’s time period in 2019 within the face of rising pressure with India. But Khan later developed variations with Bajwa over the appointment of the nation’s new spy chief rather than Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed. These variations continued till Khan was ousted.

Since then, Khan has accused Bajwa of conspiring with the U.S. to power his authorities’s ouster — a cost Washington, Sharif and the army have repeatedly denied.

Bajwa, in a current televised tackle at a military gathering, known as Khan’s allegations a “false narrative.”

“If there was a foreign conspiracy, would we be sitting silently? It would be a big sin,” he mentioned, with out naming Khan.

Bajwa mentioned Wednesday the army had proven restraint to date, however issued what seemed to be a veiled warning towards Khan.

“Keep it in mind that there is a limit to patience,” Bajwa mentioned.

Alvi has hosted not less than one assembly within the capital, Islamabad, between Khan and Bajwa as part of an effort to reconcile them. But authorities and army officers say Alvi’s efforts failed as Khan continued hurling accusations at Bajwa.

The former cricket hero began a protest march from the jap metropolis of Lahore on Oct. 28 earlier than surviving a gun assault that killed a by-stander and wounded 13 others. Since then, Khan’s protest march has moved towards Islamabad in convoys with out him.

Khan is predicted to steer the protest march from Rawalpindi metropolis on Nov. 26.