Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has given a key deadline on the appointment of the next chief of army staff (COAS) amid widespread speculations over who will be leading the most influential institution of the country after November 29 when Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa hangs up his uniform.

The deadline announced by Asif gives a hint about Lt General Asif Munir being still in the race for the coveted post and it has caused a stir with former prime minister Imran Khan claiming that Nawaz Sharif will get him disqualified from holding any public office using the next army chief. (Read Khan’s statement here on our Urdu website.)

Speaking to journalist Asma Shirazi on her Aaj News show “Faisla Aap Ka” a day earlier, Khawaja Asif said that the name of the next COAS will be announced on November 25 or 26.

The date is critical given that Lt Gen Asim Munir, who is the most senior three-star general at the moment, is set to retire on November 27.

Imran Khan has never mentioned Gen Munir’s name but it is widely understood that it was his fear of seeing Munir as COAS that sparked his long march.

Government officials have repeatedly said that as a matter of principle Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will appoint the most senior general at the time of Gen Bajwa’s retirement as the next COAS.

If the next army chief is selected a day before Gen Asim’s retirement date, it is highly likely that he gets the nod being on the top of the list of senior generals.

The other two senior generals will be Lt General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and Lt General Azhar Abbas, respectively.

The government will be promoting two lieutenant generals to the rank of full four-star generals this month as the position of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee also falls vacant.

The deadline announced by Khawaja Asif raises the possibility of Gen Munir being among the two generals to be awarded the promotion, which will also increase their service duration by another three years.

However, the problem is far more complex than Khawaja Asif would desire it to be.

Brigadier Mohammad Yousaf (retired) says even if Khawaja Asif stands by his deadline, the senior-most generals would be Gen Sahid Shamshad Mirza and Gen Azhar Abbas, not Gen Munir.

Lt Gen Asim Munir cannot be promoted to the position of COAS unless the incumbent, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, announces premature retirement before November 27, but the military has no such precedent, he told Aaj News.

There is a technical and legal obstacle in appointing Lt Gen Asim Munir as the next COAS on November 27, he said.

Why Lt General Asim Munir is so important

Lt General Asim Munir was commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment. He is currently serving as the quartermaster general.

He has also commanded XXX Corps in Gujranwala, but most importantly he served as the country’s spymaster, or the director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence.

His tenure as DI-ISI was cut short when then-Prime Minister Imran Khan removed him only eight months after he had himself appointed the man to the position.

There was no official word on the reason behind Khan’s decision to replace his spy chief after a brief period. But social media gossip, which could not be confirmed, suggested that Khan had a falling out with Gen Munir over certain issues.