General Syed Asim Munir is now firmly ensconced as army chief after the May 9, 2023 upheavals, which were planned by Imran Khan's supporters to destabilise him, asserts Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Contours of the long awaited reshuffle of lieutenant generals in the Pakistan army have finally become clearer, with two due retirements, of Lieutenant Generals Muhd Saeed, CGS, and Ali Amir Awan, Pakistan Ordinance Factories, Wah taking place.
Four more promotions were made public on November 23, 2023, to complete filling up of the sanctioned 28 three star vacancies.
Lieutenant General Asif Ghafoor, Artillery, 78th Pakistan Military Academy Long Course (PMA-LC), has been moved out from XII Corps, Quetta, and posted as Chairman, National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad.
Lieutenant General Rahat Naseem Ahmed Khan, Frontier Force Regiment (FFR), 82nd PMA-LC, goes from the NDU as the new corps commander, XII Corps, Quetta.
Lieutenant General Tahir Hameed Shah, Artillery, 82 PMA, goes as Chairman, Pakistan Ordinance Factories, Wah.
Lieutenant General Avais Dastagir, Armoured Corps (19 Lancers), 83rd PMA, who served earlier as director general, military operations (DGMO), picks up three star rank and is posted as chief of general staff.
Major General Kashif Abdullah, 89th PMA, is the new DGMO.
Lieutenant General Shakirullah Khattak, Armoured Corps, is also promoted. He continues in his post as chairman, Heavy Industries, Taxila.
Others promoted from the 83rd PMA Long Course include Lieutenant General Muhd Aqeel, FFR, who was director general, weapons development at joint staff headquarters. He goes as inspector general, communications and information technology at general headquarters.
The last incumbent there, Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik has moved to the National Data Base Regulatory Authority (NADRA) recently.
Also on promotion, Lieutenant General Syed Imdad Hussan Shah, Azad Kashmir Regiment, previously DG(H) at Inter Services Intelligence becomes the new corps commander, XXX Corps, Gujranwala.
Though officers from the 80th PMA still cool their heels in staff assignments at GHQ, with this set of promotions and reshuffle, General Asim Munir can be regarded to have finally settled in and is firmly ensconced as army chief after the May 9, 2023 upheavals, which were planned by supporters of now incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan to destabilise him.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
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