The Change of Command ceremony for chief of army staff took place Tuesday morning at GHQ in Rawalpindi, where General Asim Munir assumed command of Pakistan Army.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa was presented a farewell salute after he passed the baton of command to Gen Asim Munir.

Gen Asim Munir was picked by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to succeed Gen Bajwa last week.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, senior serving and retired officers, diplomats as well as government functionaries are in attendance.

Prior to the ceremony, both Gen Bajwa and Gen Munir laid a wreath at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada (Monument to Martyrs) in GHQ and offered fateha.

Who is Gen Asim Munir?

Gen Munir entered the service via the Officers Training School (OTS) programme in Mangla and was commissioned into the 23rd Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment.

Gen Munir commanded troops in the Force Command Northern Areas as a brigadier under Gen Bajwa, who was then Commander X Corps. He was appointed DG of the Military Intelligence in early 2017 and then ISI Director General in October 2018.

Eight months later, Gen Munir was posted Gujranwala Corps Commander. He was moved to the GHQ as Quartermaster General two years later.

Gen Asim Munir is the recipient of the Sword of Honour from the 17th course of the Officers Training School in Mangla. Also, he is the recipient of the Hilal-i-Imtiaz.

He is a ‘Hafiz-e-Quran’ who memorized the Quran during his posting in Saudi Arabia as Lt Colonel.