On Monday, the departing Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa met separately with President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. President Alvi wished General Bajwa well during their encounter.
Army chief afterwards held a farewell meeting with PM Shehbaz, who hosted a luncheon in General Bajwa’s honour.
It is important to remember that a special ceremony to change the chief of army staff (COAS) will be held tomorrow at 9 a.m. General Bajwa will transfer control of the Pakistan Army to General Syed Asim Munir at the ceremony.
Senior civil and military authorities and the heads of the armed forces will attend the ceremony to congratulate the new COAS. Ministers, diplomats, dignitaries, and reporters from the federal government have also been invited to the ceremony.
The six-year leadership of General Bajwa as chief of the army staff of Pakistan will come to an end under General Munir. General Sahir Shamshad Mirza began serving as the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairman on Sunday (CJCSC).
General Mirza took over for General Nadeem Raza in this ceremonial but technically highest-ranking position in the military.
Last Monday, President Alvi accepted a summary submitted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that named General Munir as the new COAS and General Mirza as the new CJCSC, putting an end to days of rumours.
On the list of general officers by seniority, General Munir was first and General Mirza was second. As a result, both major positions went to the most senior generals following Gen Bajwa.
