Farwell visits: General Bajwa meets PM, President one day before retirement

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif met the outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Islamabad on Monday as a part of the army chief’s farewell visits.

During the meeting between the two, the Premier commended General Bajwa’s services and said that he played an exemplary role in bringing Pakistan out of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic and floods, reports Radio Pakistan.

He said the Pakistan Army under the leadership of General Qamar Javed Bajwa played a valiant role in crushing terrorism in the country.

“You got the honour of leading the world’s best army,” the prime minister told COAS Bajwa.

In response, General Bajwa thanked PM Shehbaz for his support in handling matters of national importance.

Before meeting the Premier, the army chief paid a farewell visit to President Dr Arif Alvi at the Aiwan-e-Sadar where the president also commended Gen Bajwa’s services in the field of defence and also appreciated his services to the country and the Pakistan Army.

The president also expressed best wishes for Gen Bajwa in his future endeavours.

Pakistan Army’s change of command ceremony will be held tomorrow (November 29).

Gen Bajwa will hand over the “baton of command” to General Asim Munir, who was selected to become the new army chief by PM Shehbaz on November 24. General Asim will be the 17th army chief to assume the command of the Pakistan Army.

General Bajwa is set to retire on November 29 after six years in office. He was appointed in 2016 by then-PM Nawaz Sharif and later granted an additional three-year extension in 2019 by former PM Imran Khan.