US welcomes Pakistan’s new army chief

ISLAMABAD: United States has welcomed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s appointment of Lieutenant General Qamar Javed Bajwa as Pakistan’s new Chief of Army Staff.

According to a statement by US Embassy in Islamabad, the country is looking foward to continuing their work with Pakistan’s elected leaders, with Lt. General Qamar Javed Bajwa, and with the  Pakistani military to advance out shared counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism goals for Pakistan and the region and to enable Pakistani authorities to honor their pledge to prevent the use of Pakistan’s soil for terrorist attacks against its neighbors.

“Our congratulations to Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Raheel and his family upon the conclusion of his three-year appointment,” the statement read.

The embassy further stated, “General Raheel has been a respected partner throughout his tenure as Army Chief.  We appreciate his leadership in combating terrorism in Pakistan and across the region, and his support for Pakistani civilian governance and institutions.”

US embassy went on to say that General Raheel Sharif demonstrated an impressive commitment to the peace, security and well-being of the Pakistani people.

US also congratulated Lt General Zubair Hayat on being appointed as the new Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Committee and recognized the dedicated service of General Rashad Mahmood.

It should be noted that Lieutenant General Qamar Javed Bajwa was appointed as the new Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan on Saturday.

Lt. General Qamar Javed Bajwa is currently working as Inspector General of the Training and Evaluation at the General Headquarters. He has also commanded the Army’s 10 Corps. He belongs to the infantry’s Baloch Regiment.

Bajwa is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, Toronto, Canada, The Naval Post Graduate University, California and the National Defence University, Islamabad.

The new COAS also served as Chief of Staff at Corps X in Rawalpindi and has also commanded formation division in Northern Areas. He has also commanded a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo.

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