ABC News:
ISLAMABAD — Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has named the country’s former spy chief as head of the military, the information minister said Thursday, ending months of speculation about the new appointment.
The army has historically wielded huge influence in Pakistan, ruling it for half of its 75-year history, and also oversees its nuclear program. Like neighboring China and India, Pakistan has nuclear arsenals and a missile system, mainly aimed at archrival India.
Asim Munir, who was promoted to four-star general and whose planned retirement was postponed, replaces Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, whose extended six-year term ends on Nov. 29.
Munir begins his new role amid feuding between Sharif and his predecessor, former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The ex-premier has publicly accused Bajwa of playing a role in his ouster, a charge the outgoing army chief has denied.
Khan, a former cricket star turned Islamist politician, was ousted in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April. He is now in the opposition and has been demanding early elections, claiming his ouster was illegal and orchestrated by Sharif, with the U.S. government’s help. Sharif and Washington have dismissed the allegations and the current government says the next polls will be held as scheduled in 2023.
