Gen Mirza, Gen Munir call on President Alvi, PM Shehbaz

New Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir separately called on President Dr. Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday.

President Alvi congratulated both military officers and discussed with them professional matters.

The prime minister also congratulated them for their appointments and expressed his best wishes for them.

Earlier, President Dr. Arif Alvi appointed Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Lieutenant General Syed Asim Munir as Chief of Army Staff.

The appointment as Chairman, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee will be effective from the 27th of this month while the appointment for Chief of Army Staff will take effect from the 29th of this month.

The President made these appointments on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that President Dr. Arif Alvi has approved the summary for the appointment of a new Army Chief and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

He said the President has appointed Lieutenant General Syed Asim Munir and Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza as the Chief of the Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee respectively.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday sent a summary to President Dr. Arif Alvi for the approval of the appointments of senior military officers as the COAS and CJCSC.

Before signing the summary, President Alvi met former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran in Lahore on Thursday and discussed the current situation of the country, particularly the appointments of a new Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Dr. Alvi, who flew to Lahore to meet the party chief after receiving the summary sent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, discussed with Imran all constitutional and legal issues during the meeting, which lasted for about 45 minutes at Zaman Park residence.

Later, the President went back to Islamabad. Meanwhile, PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry told media persons that the President’s House would issue an official handout in this regard between 6 to 7 pm today.

He further said that all constitutional and legal aspects regarding the appointment of a new army chief came under discussion during the meeting.

He maintained that the issue would be resolved as per the constitution and law of the land.