ISLAMABAD : General Qamar Javed Bajwa will continue as army chief till November 2022. Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday gave an extension of three years to the incumbent Chief of Army Staff.
General Bajwa’s three-year term was due to complete in November this year. The extension period would start from the date of completion of his current term, said the notification issued with the signatures by Prime Minister Khan.
Premier cited regional security environment reason for the decision. “The decision has been taken in view of regional security situation” reads the notification.
After General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf’s a decade long military government rule that ended in 2008, his successor General Ashfaq Perviaz Kiyani was given three- year extension by the then Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) government.
General Kiyani was succeeded by General Raheel Sharif who retired on completion of his three-year term. He took job as head of multinational force of some Muslim countries, constituted by Saudi Arabia.
President of Pakistan appoints army chief on the advice of Prime Minister. Selection of army chief is considered prerogative of Prime Minister who chooses a name from penal senior most generals. He usually consults the incumbent army chief before the finalising the new name.
During the last stint of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif had appointed General Bajwa as army chief on November 26, 2016.
Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, was commissioned in 16 Baloch Regiment on October 24, 1980. He is a graduate of Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, (Toronto) Canada, Naval Post Graduate University, Monterrey (California) USA, National Defence University, Islamabad.
Qamar Bajwa has been an instructor at School of Infantry and Tactics, Quetta, Command and Staff College, Quetta and NDU. He has also been Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade and Chief of Staff of Rawalpindi Corps.
Bajwa has commanded 16 Baloch Regiment, an Infantry Brigade and Infantry Division in Northern Areas ( Commander FCNA).
He has also commanded Pakistan Contingent in Congo. He has commanded Rawalpindi Corps, and was serving as Inspector General Training and Evaluation at GHQ before his appointment as COAS three years back.
