Rawalpindi: Ambassadors of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Thursday, the military said.

Matters of bilateral interest came under discussion during army chief’s separate meetings with Saudi envoy Nawaf Saeed A. Al Milkiy and UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Alzaabi, the military’s media wing further said. The meetings took place two days after General Asim took charge as the 17th Army chief of Pakistan at a ceremony held at the GHQ on Tuesday.

The change of command ceremony was held after a gap of six years, as General Qamar Javed Bajwa, now retired, was given a three-year extension in 2019. Hours after Gen Asim took charge, Prime Minister Shehbaz called the new army chief and congratulated him over his new role.

“It is no less than a blessing that Pakistan has got such a capable and courageous army chief,” the prime minister was quoted as saying in the official handout. Gen Asim is the first army chief who headed both the Military Intelligence (MI) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). General Ahsanul Haq was the other four-star who led both secret agencies but he was the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The change of command in the army came at a time when the country is facing multiple challenges, including deepening political crises, resurgence of militancy.

However, for Gen Asim, many observers believe, the single biggest challenge is to restore public image of the security establishment.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 02 2022

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