Who will be Pakistan’s new army chief? Here are possible candidates

It is almost time for Pakistan's government to choose the next army chief. A senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader hinted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif could start talking about the appointment by the end of August and possibly make a decision by mid-September.

It is customary for the General Headquarters or GHQ to send to the defence ministry a list of four to five senior-most lieutenant-generals, along with their profiles, so that the prime minister can choose the best candidate for the position.

Lt-Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, one of the senior-most among the four candidates, is the undisputed front-runner for any of the two positions of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), Dawn newspaper quoted a military source as saying. Mirza is a native of the Sindh Regiment. He had a distinguished army career, especially over the last few years in high command roles.

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PML-N leaders stated that they had essentially chosen to make the appointment based on seniority. However, another faction believes that the PM may just follow the incumbent leader’s recommendations.

Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the current COAS is all set to retire in November. The army chief's tenure is meant for three years but Bajwa was given an additional three-year term in 2019. However, the general still qualifies for another term. There is a possibility that the incumbent might be interested in or looking for another extension. But as per a military source close to Bajwa, he informed those close to him that he would retire in November, the newspaper reported.

Among the current senior brass, Lt. Gen. Azhar Abbas has the most experience in Indian affairs. He belongs to the Baloch regiment. Currently serving as the Chief of General Staff (CGS), he leads the army and has direct control over the intelligence and operations directorates, Dawn reported. He had previously commanded Rawalpindi-based X Corps and is Kashmir-centric, demonstrating the army’s entire confidence in him.

Lt Gen Faiz Hamid, a member of the Baloch Regiment, is another of the most talked-about candidates for the top job. He was a centre of a dispute between former PM Imran Khan and the COAS in the final stages, where the latter had chosen him for the post of commander of the Peshawar Corps and the former wasn’t ready to remove him. According to analysts cited by Dawn, PML-N leaders may find it impossible or challenging to consider him for the position of COAS.

Another candidate, Lt. Gen. Mohammed Amir, is a member of the Artillery Regiment, and currently in charge of the XXX corps in Gujranwala. He was formerly the GHQ’s adjutant general. He has extensive experience in both GHQ and command roles, having also held the position of director-general of Staff Duties at the COAS secretariat. According to Dawn, his professional path has put him in close proximity to the current political decision-makers.

(With inputs from agencies)

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