General Nadeem Raza, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), paid President Dr. Arif Alvi a goodbye visit on Thursday at the White House.
It was General Raza’s last meeting with the president in his capacity as CJCSC because the federal government had just selected Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza as the new CJCSC.
Since November 2019, General Raza, a highly distinguished commander, has presided as the nation’s 17th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
The president thanked the departing CJCSC for his contributions to the country’s defence and sent him his best wishes.
At PM House, General Raza also spoke with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The premier thanked the departing CJCSC for his contributions to the Pakistan Army.
وزیراعظم شہباز شریف سے چئیرمن جوائنٹ چیفس آف اسٹاف کمیٹی جنرل ندیم رضا کی وزیر اعظم ہاؤس میں الوداعی ملاقات
وزیراعظم نے جنرل ندیم رضا کی دفاع وطن کو مزید مظبوط بنانے اور آرمی کے ادارے کے لئے خدمات کو خراج تحسین پیش کیا pic.twitter.com/2kVuj87b0b
— PMLN (@pmln_org) November 24, 2022
In a ceremony held at the Sindh Regiment Centre in Hyderabad on February 8, 2022, General Raza was installed as the Second Colonel in Chief of the Sindh Regiment, and Corps Commander Rawalpindi Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza was installed as the 13th Colonel Commandant of the Sindh Regiment.
Read More: Govt selects Pakistan’s next COAS & CJCSC
The nomination of the army commander and joint chief chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee, according to defence minister Khawaja Asif, is a “test” for PTI chairman Imran Khan.
ایڈوائس صدر علوی کے پاس چلی گئی ھے.اب عمران خان کا امتحان ھے وہ دفاع وطن کے ادارے کو مضبوط بنانا چاہتا ھے یا متنازعہ. صدر علوی کی بھی آزمائش ھے کے وہ سیاسی ایڈوائس پہ عمل کرینگےیاآئینی وقانونی ایڈوائس پہ. بحیثیت افواج کےسپریم کمانڈرادارے کو سیاسی تنازعات سےمحفوظ رکھنا انکا فرض ھے
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) November 24, 2022
“President Alvi has received the recommendation. Now Imran Khan must decide if he wants to build the nation’s defence establishment or make it contentious,” Asif remarked in a tweet.
The PTI head has explicitly stated that he would be consulted once the summary is received and that he would “play within the law.” The president had reportedly previously declared that he would not put obstacles in the way of the nomination of the new military officers.
Asif said in his tweet, “This is also a test for President Alvi to decide whether he will accept political counsel or constitutional and legal advice. He has a responsibility to safeguard the nation against political conflicts as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.”