Pakistani PM nominates Asim Munir as new army chief

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has nominated Lieutenant General Asim Munir as the country's new chief of army staff, the information minister said on Thursday.

The prime minister exercised his constitutional right to nominate the new army chief, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Twitter.

She added that Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza had been picked as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Names of the newly picked officers will now be sent to the office of president Arif Alvi for approval, as per the Pakistani constitution.

The current army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa is set to retire on Nov. 29, following which Munir will fill his slot if the president approves his appointment.