President Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz are invited by departing CJCSC Gen. Nadeem Raza.

ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, President Dr. Arif Alvi received a farewell visit from Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Nadeem Raza.

Since Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza has been selected as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee by the federal government, it was General Raza’s final meeting with the president in his position as CJCSC.

The nation’s 17th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Raza, is a highly decorated officer who has been in office since November 2019.

The president commended the CJCSC’s contributions to national defence while expressing his best wishes for him.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had a visit from General Raza at PM House. The leaving CJCSC was thanked by the prime minister for his contributions to the Pakistan Army.

General Raza was sworn in as the Second Colonel in Chief of the Sindh Regiment on February 8, 2022, and Corps Commander Rawalpindi Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza was sworn in as the Thirteenth Colonel Commandant of the Sindh Regiment during a ceremony held at the Sindh Regiment Center in Hyderabad.

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.

“President Alvi has been given the recommendation. Now Imran Khan must decide if he wants to build the nation’s defence establishment or make it controversial, Asif remarked in a tweet.

The president reportedly claimed earlier that he would not put obstacles in the way of the new military officers’ appointments, but the PTI chairman has made it clear that he would be briefed once the summary is received and that he will “play within the law.”

In his subsequent tweet, Asif stated: “This is also a test for President Alvi to see if he would heed political counsel or constitutional and legal advice. Protecting the nation against political conflicts is his responsibility as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.