Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday appointed Lt. General Qamar Javed Bajwa as the new army chief ending weeks of suspense.
He also named Lt. General Zubair Hayat as the new Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff committee - although senior to army chief but largely a ceremonial post.
The PM was expected to announce replacements for the top army slots for weeks but he kept on delaying the announcement for reasons best known to him.
Apolitical General Bajwa has extensive experience of handling affairs in Kashmir and the northern areas of the country. As a Major General, he led the Force Command Northern Areas. He also served in the 10 Corps as Lieutenant Colonel.
Despite his extensive involvement with Kashmir and northern areas, he is said to consider extremism a bigger threat for the country than India.
General Bajwa served with a UN mission in Congo as a brigade commander alongside former Indian army chief General Bikram Singh, who was also there as a division commander. His military colleagues say he is not attention-seeking and remains well-connected with his troops.
He will replace the outgoing Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif during a change of guard ceremony on November 29.
