Pakistan’s PM Appoints Former Spy Chief as Head of Military Amid Political Crisis

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York City on Sept. 23, 2022. Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Lt. Gen. Asim Munir, the former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, as head of the nuclear-armed military amid a political crisis.

The Ministry of Defense announced his appointment in a statement published by local media on Nov. 25. Munir will take over for Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, whose six-year term expires on Nov. 29.