WASHINGTON: Reacting to appointment of Pakistan’s new army chief, American media said that the new leader of the Pakistan’s military will have two immediate tasks, rebuilding the country’s ailing economy and restoring public trust in the military establishment.
Since early Thursday, the Times and The Washington Post have each published articles on Pakistan about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sending President Arif Alvi a short list of six senior generals, and the President’s approval of the summary.
The news also attracted the attention of other US media outlets, including TV networks and news websites, which frequently updated their articles. In general, the US media pays minimal attention to the nomination of an army chief within the United States and hardly ever focuses on such appointments in other nations.
Many people “consider” this change of guard as “crucial to Pakistani affairs as civilian political cycles,” according to The Times, and it comes at a moment of intense dispute about the military’s dominance in politics.
According to the research, the military has dominated Pakistan for more than half of its 75-year history, and even under civilian administrations, military commanders are regarded as exerting an invisible influence on Pakistani politics.
This year, however, after Imran Khan was ousted by a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April, which he claimed was supported by the Pakistani military, the US, and his political rivals, that political meddling has come under fierce scrutiny, the report said.
The Times claimed that Mr. Khan’s unwavering criticism of the military has struck a chord many Pakistanis and gravely harmed the military’s credibility within the nation.
The political instability has reportedly caused schisms inside the military, with many lower-ranking officers privately supporting the dismissed commander while its top brass has lost patience with his allegations, according to the US daily.
According to The Times, Pakistan’s army chief determines the direction of the nation’s foreign policy, and the new chief assumes office at a very difficult time for Pakistan.
The Washington Post noted that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan stated on Thursday that the prime minister had promoted Mr. Munir to the rank of four-star general and that he would not have retired this week even if Mr. Alvi had delayed the endorsement when describing why Mr. Alvi supported the new appointment.
In a report on this transition in Pakistan, the BBC stated that the new army chief will also oversee future relations with India, Pakistan’s nuclear-armed adversary, and the new Taliban administration in Afghanistan.
The retiring chief recognized this week the military’s involvement in politics over the previous 70 years, according to almost all media outlets.
