Ahmad Norrani, Pakistan’s Prominent Journalist in Exile due to Gen Asim Munir’s Military Dictatorship in Pakistan.
Nepotism by Gen Asim Munir -It’s All in the Gen Asim Munir’s Family
Courtesy Mr Noorani@factfocus
Army Chief Or A King: GHQ Tightens Grip On Civilian Institutions Under General Asim Munir
A journalist
Ahmad Noorani from Washington DC
Since the appointment of Army Chief General Asim Munir, the grip of General Headquarters (GHQ) on civilian institutions has tightened to an unprecedented level, with his relatives and close associates blatantly interfering in major government appointments and holding top positions despite little to no performance, exemplifying the military’s unchecked hegemony and misgovernance in Pakistan.
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Syed Babar Ali Shah, the army chief’s maternal uncle, has been an unannounced king of Islamabad since early 2023 and was instrumental in many key appointments, awards, and promotions including the appointment of the former DG FIA Ahmad Ishaq Jahangir.
Another influential relative is the army chief’s first cousin, Hajra Sohail, who was an ordinary employee working as a scholarship manager in a federal government organization at the time of General Asim Munir’s appointment in November 2022. She was first appointed to a very senior position without any formal process and then, within months, promoted to Chief Executive Officer of the same organization.
Mohsin Naqvi, a close family member of General Asim Munir’s wife, Iram Asim, is another prime example of how power and influence have been exploited for personal gain under Munir’s tenure as Chief of Army Staff (COAS). Despite lacking relevant expertise, he was handed two of the most coveted and powerful positions in the country—Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board and Interior Minister. His appointment underscores an unprecedented level of nepotism, unchecked greed, and the brazen misuse of authority that has become the hallmark of this regime.
Syeda Hajra Sohail
Hajra Sohail, daughter of Syed Babar Ali Shah and the first cousin of the army chief General Asim Munir was a scholarship manager in a federal government organization Pakistan Education Endowment fund (PEEF) previously known as National Endowment Scholarship for Talent (NEST) in November 2022 when General Asim Munir was appointed Pakistan Army Chief. This organization operated under the control of the ministry of federal education and professional training.
In early 2023, the federal education ministry initiated a process to appoint a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for PEEF by advertising the position publicly. However, shortly after the official process began, the Prime Minister’s office intervened, instructing the ministry to halt the procedure. They informed the ministry that a name would be provided for the appointment.
The then federal minister, Rana Tanveer Hussain, resisted this interference, insisting that the ministry continue with the process. Nonetheless, the Prime Minister’s office made it clear that the nomination of Syeda Hajra Sohail, who was already a manager at PEEF, was coming directly from the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. Despite Rana Tanveer’s insistence on following due process, repeated interventions from the Prime Minister’s office ultimately forced the ministry to abandon the process.
