Asim Munir is the senior-most lieutenant general in Pakistan Army, with effect from November 19, and he hasn’t received his letter of retirement so far, meaning he can continue to serve as usual, says journalist Azaz Syed.
Speaking to Umar Cheema in a YouTube broadcast, the journalist said that Lt. Gen. Wasim Ashraf retired on November 18, making Lt. Gen. Munir the senior-most among the lieutenant generals in the military.
He added that the summary, destined to reach Prime Minister’s House on Friday, is now scheduled for Saturday, but according to The Friday Times Editor Najam Sethi, insiders reveal that the premier has already received it.
Syed also referred to the recent remarks made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Lt. Gen. Khalid Naeem Lodhi that Lt. Gen. Munir’s name won’t be in the summary for the appointment of the army chief.
Lodhi reportedly also said that the retirement letter is received by an officer a month prior to the development.
“Some people are spreading confusion and they include PTI chairman Imran Khan’s advisers. They are telling him a lot of things, but he won’t opt for anymore confrontation after the decision has been made."
Syed added that the former premier has been advised not to make the all-crucial appointment controversial.
Imran Khan has been at loggerheads with the state, military and judiciary, and now with his former associate Faisal Vawda. There are several others who aren’t happy with his policies, and he understands that he can’t begin another fight.
President Arif Alvi, after a meeting with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, assured he won’t intervene in the government’s affairs, which highlights that matters between the state and the presidential palace stand clear.