Lieutenant-General Syed Asim Munir was the shortest serving head of the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s notorious spy company. He was appointed the ISI head in October 2018 by the Army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa. But eight months later, he was changed with Lt.Gen. Faiz Hamid on the insistence of then Prime Minister Imran Khan. The cricketer-turned-politician, who got here to energy just a few months earlier, was nonetheless having fun with heat ties with the navy institution, which couldn’t overlook his needs. While there was no official phrase on why the ISI chief was fired, an alleged audio clip of Aleem Khan, a former chief of Mr. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), surfaced earlier this 12 months through which he accused the previous Prime Minister of sacking Lt.Gen. Munir for exposing corruption of his spouse, Bushra Bibi.
In three years, the tables have turned. Mr. Khan, who fell out with the navy, was ousted from energy in April by way of a no-confidence vote. As he’s attempting to make a comeback by way of political mobilisation throughout the nation, Lt.Gen. Munir has been appointed the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), arguably probably the most highly effective place in Pakistan.
It was hardly a secret that Mr. Khan’s PTI was steadfastly against Lt.Gen. Munir’s appointment. But Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his brother and former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif (who’s in exile in London), had their means in choosing the successor of Gen. Bajwa, who would retire on November 29 after six years on the prime. “We hope that the new leadership of the armed forces of Pakistan will play its constitutional role… and stay out of the politics of domestic affairs…,” Mr. Khan’s get together mentioned in a press release about Lt.Gen. Munir’s appointment, with out congratulating the subsequent COAS.
Little is understood about what Lt.Gen. Munir thinks of the vital challenges Pakistan is dealing with — from civil navy relations to tackling ties with India, managing Afghanistan and balancing between the U.S. and China. All these years, he has saved a low profile, avoiding public feedback and controversies. But he has held a number of key posts within the navy, a sign that the highest brass has been grooming him for management roles. He entered the service by way of the Officers Training School programme in Mangla, the place he gained the distinguished Sword of Honour, an honorary sword given to greatest performing cadets. He began his navy profession as a Second Lieutenant in 1986 when the navy dictator Gen. Zia-ul-Haq was ruling Pakistan.
Military intelligence
As a Brigadier, he commanded the Pakistani troops within the Northern Areas, which incorporates Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, underneath Gen. Bajwa. After Gen. Bajwa turned the Army chief in November 2016, Lt.Gen. Munir rose by way of the ranks shortly. He was appointed the Military Intelligence Director-General in 2017 and have become a (three-star) Lieutenant-General in September 2018. In the identical 12 months, Gen. Bajwa promoted him because the ISI Director-General, however his fallout with Mr. Khan price him the job. However, Lt.Gen. Munir survived Mr. Khan’s ire. He was posted as Gujranwala Corps Commander for 2 years after which moved to the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi as a Quartermaster General, answerable for provides.
Among the names that did the rounds for the COAS, which additionally included Lt.Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Lt.Gen. Azhar Abbas, Lt.Gen. Nauman Mehmood and Lt.Gen. Faiz Hamid (who was mentioned to be Mr. Khan’s favorite), Lt.Gen. Munir was the senior most. His four-year time period as a Lt.Gen. was to finish on November 27 (Sunday). But two days later, he would develop into a four-star General, starting a three-year time period because the COAS.
Pakistani media time period him a “devout”, “clear-headed” soldier dedicated to defending the pursuits of the navy and the state. There had been situations of Lt.Gen. Munir performing swiftly to guard the navy and the ISI from public criticism. In July 2018, Islamabad High Court choose Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui criticised the ISI, saying the company was manipulating judicial proceedings to get beneficial selections. Justice Siddiqui was sacked in October that 12 months by President Arif Alvi on a suggestion from the Supreme Judicial Council for misconduct, just a few days after Lt.Gen. Munir turned the ISI chief. Political analyst and creator Shuja Nawaz writes in his e book, The Battle for Pakistan, that the Supreme Court’s choice was an instance of Lt.Gen. Munir’s “overreach”. Mr. Nawaz writes that Lt.Gen. Munir has the “reputation of a hardliner” and “a tough officer rooted in Islamic tradition”. Lt.Gen. Munir can also be referred to as a Hafiz-e-Quran, who memorised the holy e book throughout his posting in Saudi Arabia as a Lieutenant-Colonel.
Lt.Gen. Munir takes over the 6,00,000-strong navy with nuclear weapons at a vital time for Pakistan. Gen. Bajwa’s six-year time period has seen combined outcomes for the nation. With regard to India, relations took a large hit after the post-Pulwama clashes (Lt.Gen. Munir was the ISI chief when the Pulwama assault occurred in February 2019 through which 40 Indian personnel had been killed). But two years later, India and Pakistan agreed to resume a ceasefire that was in tatters. Under Gen. Bajwa, Pakistan oversaw the Taliban’s return to Afghanistan, which appeared to have given a strategic victory to the institution. But the Taliban’s return additionally posed new safety and strategic challenges for Pakistan, with the Pakistani Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) gaining momentum from their Afghan brothers’ triumph and ramping up assaults. At dwelling, the navy, which has at all times remained the ability behind the throne, confronted a credibility disaster after Mr. Khan, who was earlier backed by the Generals, accused them of plotting his ouster from energy. With Mr. Khan travelling throughout the nation mobilising 1000’s of individuals and publicly attacking the navy and his political rivals, the institution has received a preferred rival within the political class.
‘Cornered tiger’
Amid a bunch of challenges, Lt.Gen. Munir should get his priorities proper. “I expect continuity between Bajwa and Munir on India policy. Bajwa sought to limit tensions, as evidenced by the new border truce last year and his focus on more regional trade and connectivity, as well as Pakistan’s muted response to the errant Indian missile that landed in Pakistan,” mentioned Michael Kugelman, South Asia Institute Director at The Wilson Center, Washington DC. “With Munir and the Army on the whole wanting the main policy focus to be on stabilising Pakistan politically and economically, the last thing they’ll want is a fresh crisis with India. So I expect Munir, at least initially, to endorse Bajwa’s efforts to keep tensions down in the relationship with India, and focus on getting things in better order at home.”
Finding methods to stabilise home politics, the place Mr. Khan stays what Pakistani journalist Abbas Nasir calls a “cornered tiger”, wouldn’t be a straightforward job. “If Munir concludes that political stability is more likely with early polls, and he presses the government to agree to them, that could inject tensions into what have been smooth civil-relations in recent months, post-Khan ouster. That said, given the reports of past differences between Khan and Munir, Munir likely isn’t about to do Khan any favours, at least not initially. And we can’t rule out him endorsing efforts by the state to try to undermine Khan’s electoral prospects,” Mr. Kugelman informed The Hindu. Challenging days are forward for each the navy and Mr. Khan.
Source: www.thehindu.com