Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa is set to retire today (Tuesday) after serving six years in office — from 2016-2022.
The outgoing chief will hand over the “baton of command” at a ceremony to Gen Asim Munir, who was appointed last week as COAS Bajwa’s successor and will become the 17th army chief.
The august ceremony for the change of command will be held at the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) at 9am today, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement, with former military leaders also participating in the function.
Gen Bajwa called on President Arif Alvi and PM Shehbaz Sharif to formally bid farewell as army chief, with both government officials thanking the COAS for his services.
During his meeting with the army chief, PM Shehbaz praised the outgoing COAS for efficiently dealing with the “crises” in the country during his six-year-long tenure.
“The army, under the leadership of Gen Bajwa, has rendered exemplary services during various crises — including the removal of Pakistan from the FATF’s (Financial Action Task Force) grey list, coronavirus pandemic, and floods,” the prime minister said.
In a meeting at the President’s House, Dr Alvi paid tribute to Gen Bajwa for his exceptional services to the nation against all external and internal threats.