Pak PM Sharif approves early retirement of Lt Gen Faiz Hamid

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the early retirement application of Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid, a former ISI chief and one of the six names apparently shortlisted for the post of the new Army chief, according to a media report on Friday.

The report comes days after the Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lt. General Azhar Abbas also sought early retirement following Gen Asim Munir's appointment as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

Former ISI chief Gen Munir has replaced Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired on November 29 after serving two consecutive three-year terms as Pakistan's Army chief in the coup-prone country, where the military wields considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy.

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Lt. Gen Hamid sent his application to the Army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi a few days ago, which forwarded it to the Prime Minister’s Office for approval, according to Geo TV.

Lt. Gen Hamid served as DG ISI and Corps Commander Peshawar under former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He was later posted as Bahawalpur Corps Commander, the report said.

Lt. Gen Hamid and Lt. General Abbas were among the six candidates recommended for the office of the chief of the army staff to succeed Gen Bajwa.

Other names in the list apart from Gen Munir, included Lt. Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Lt. Gen Nauman Mehmood and Lt. Gen Mohammad Amir.

Gen Munir is the first Army chief who heads both powerful intelligence agencies - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI).

Pakistan Army General Shahir Shamshad Mirza on Sunday took charge as the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) after his predecessor, Gen (retd) Nadeem Raza, hung up his boots a day earlier.

The post of Army chief is the most powerful position in coup-prone Pakistan where the military wields considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy.

The powerful Army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 75-plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy.