The federal government in Pakistan on Tuesday promoted Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir to the rank of field marshal, the highest military rank in the country. The rank is extremely rare—last awarded in 1959 to General Ayub Khan. The decision was made during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reported Geo News.
Before being appointed to Pakistan army’s top post, Munir led the Pakistan's intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) when tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pulwama attack in February 2019 that resulted in the death of 40 CRPF jawans.
General Asim Munir took over from General Qamar Javed Bajwa as the Chief of Army Staff in November, 2022. His tenure as Army Chief was extended from three to five years in November 2024.
