A military and intelligence commander who was appointed on November 24, 2022, as the commander of the Pakistani army, to succeed General Qamar Javed Bajwa, whose second term in the highest and most powerful military position in Pakistan ended.

The Indian media describes him as "General Mullah", and he held several military and intelligence positions previously, the most recent of which was the position of Director General of Logistics and Supply.

Birth and upbringing

His name is Asim Munir Ahmed, and he is the son of a teacher who grew up in the city of Rawalpindi, adjacent to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

Scientific study and training

Asim Munir began his service in the Pakistani army in 1986 by attending the 17th session of the Officers' Education School in the city of Mangla in the Pakistani province of Azad Kashmir (northwest of the country), where he won the prestigious Sword of Honor, which is awarded to the best performing trainee, and began his career in the army in the 23rd Battalion Frontier Force Regiment.

General Asim Munir with Pakistani President Arif Rahman Alvi (Reuters)

Jobs and responsibilities

He was a close aide to the outgoing General Bajwa, who commanded a division in the northern regions with the rank of brigadier general under the command of General Bajwa, who was heading a Pakistani army corps, and also served in the disputed areas with India, and in Saudi Arabia.

He also held the position of Commander of the Northern Region Force in the Pakistani Army between October 2014 and December 2016.

He was appointed Director General of Military Intelligence between December 2016 and October 2018.

He assumed the leadership of the Pakistani General Intelligence Service from October 25, 2018, until June 16, 2019, which is his shortest period in a senior leadership position after he was replaced by General Faiz Hamid at the request of then-Prime Minister Imran Khan.

It was said that Khan sacked him after a dispute with him.

He then assumed command of an army corps in the city of Gujranwala in the Punjab province from June 17, 2019 to October 6, 2021.

After that, he headed the Supply and Supply Command, which is responsible for supplying all units of the Pakistani army from October 2021 until he assumed the position of General Command of the Pakistani Army, in which his mission began on November 29, 2022.

General Assem Mounir was previously Director General of Military Intelligence (Reuters)

political orientations

Not much is known about the political orientations of General Mounir, and the Indian media describe him as "General Mullah", a metaphor for his "strict commitment" to the teachings of Islam and his memorization of the Holy Qur'an, which makes several parties - including India - fear his religious background, as reported in some media.

Some Indian media linked his presidency of Pakistani intelligence in 2019 to the Pulwama bombing in India in February of the same year, which killed 40 Indian police personnel, a period in which tensions between Pakistan and India escalated, and the two countries were about to enter into a massive war.