(Written By: Abdul Basit Alvi)
In Pakistan, the current Army Chief, General Asim Munir, has actively taken the forefront in addressing the country’s challenges. Utilizing his personal influence overseas, he has assisted the civilian government, making 11 foreign visits and engaging with around 17 foreign diplomatic and military officials. These visits have resulted in decisions related to investments in Pakistan, extending the loan repayment period, and collaborative efforts on defense matters.
After assuming command of the Pakistan Army in November last year, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) embarked on a series of international visits to strengthen diplomatic and military ties. In January, he visited Saudi Arabia, where meetings with Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials resulted in the extension of the repayment period for loans provided to Pakistan by the Saudi government. Following this, the Army Chief visited the United Arab Emirates, addressing investment and defense matters crucial for Pakistan. Strategic security issues were deliberated during his visit to the UK on February 5, where he attended the Sustainability Conference at Wilton Park as the Chief Guest.
A subsequent visit to the United Arab Emirates on February 11 involved discussions with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan regarding the extension of loan repayment periods for Pakistan in various sectors. In April, a three-day visit to China led to the signing of agreements on defense, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and technology issues. Details of joint defense agreements were kept confidential due to their sensitive nature.
On July 15, the Army Chief undertook a two-day visit to Iran, engaging in discussions on regional security, US-Iran relations, and other pertinent issues with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, the Foreign Minister, and the Army Chief. A return visit to the United Arab Emirates on July 30 finalized arrangements for investment in Pakistan under the Strategic Investment Framework for Cooperation (SIFC) across various sectors.
During a visit to Uzbekistan on September 5, joint strategies in the fight against terrorism and regional security issues were agreed upon in meetings with the Uzbek President, Minister of Defense, and military officials. Similarly, discussions on regional security and common defense interests took place during a visit to Turkey on September 13, where the Turkish President expressed gratitude for Pakistan Army’s relief operations, particularly urban search and rescue teams, during an earthquake. The Army Chief was honored with the Turkish Legion of Merit in recognition of his services.
In a meeting with the Palestinian ambassador on October 24, the Army Chief reaffirmed full moral and diplomatic support for Palestine. He strongly urged the international community to implement an immediate ceasefire, provide humanitarian aid in Gaza, and establish a Palestinian state based on the 1967 geographical structure.
The Army Chief’s visit to Azerbaijan on November 1 saw appreciation for Pakistan’s support from Azerbaijani military officials, expressing determination to expand bilateral relations. On November 29, the Chief of Army Staff visited the UAE and Kuwait for the third time, conducting final detailed discussions on areas of investment in Pakistan.
Aside from foreign visits, the Army Chief held meetings with 17 diplomatic and military officials from countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, and China. A recent visit to the United States holds particular significance as it marks his first official visit since assuming command. Discussions with top US officials covered US-Pakistan counter-terrorism cooperation, military-to-military collaboration, the situation arising from Afghanistan, and economic and investment issues.
General Asim Munir, the Army Chief, has embarked on his inaugural visit to the United States since assuming the role last year. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed this in a statement, noting that it is General Munir’s first visit to the United States as the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). During this visit, he is scheduled to meet with senior US military and government officials, including the US Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and the National Security Adviser at the White House.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Army Chief General Asim Munir, both within Pakistan and internationally, the country has experienced several positive economic developments in recent days. Notably, Pakistani IT firms secured significant awards at the Asia-Pacific Information & Communication Technology Alliance (APICTA) Awards 2023 in Hong Kong. Additionally, a strategic deal was reached as PSO agreed to sell over 30% of its shareholding in Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) to the United Energy Group (UEG) of China, bringing a substantial $1.5 billion investment and doubling PRL’s refining capacity from 50,000 to 100,000 barrels per day.
Further contributing to economic growth, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $659 million for three projects in Pakistan, aimed at fostering inclusive and sustainable growth. In trade, Pakistan’s exports to South China surged impressively by 65% from July 2022 to October 2023. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lauded Pakistan’s economic plan, noting the rebound in the rupee’s value and the cessation of the dollarization trend. The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the KSE-100 benchmark, surpassed the milestone of 66,155 points.
November brought remarkable positive developments, including the United States remaining the top export destination for Pakistan, a more than 34.7% reduction in the trade deficit to 7.4 billion dollars in four months, a 13.6 million dollar increase in State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reserves in a week, the refinery sector turning profitable in the first quarter of FY24, an alliance between SBP and the Arab fund to ease cross-border remittances, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) to boost employment opportunities for Pakistani workers, a 0.06% decrease in SPI inflation, a 70% increase in Pakistan’s exports to China in October, and Pakistan earning 654.930 million dollars from IT services exports.
Thanks to General Asim’s diplomatic efforts, Pakistan has also witnessed notable developments such as the discovery of new gas and condensate reserves in Sindh and the IMF Board meeting on January 11 for the approval of a staff-level agreement. The 100 billion dollar export vision is a tangible result of these sincere efforts, with Pakistan also aiming to reduce the trade deficit with China.
Pakistan is currently witnessing noteworthy developments, including the initiation of projects worth Rs. 40 billion in Rawalpindi, the implementation of a tight gas policy aimed at unlocking a 2 billion dollar Chinese investment in MARI, OGDC, and PPL. Additionally, a substantial amount of Rs. 573 million was saved in the PSX Sukuk auction. Furthermore, Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan have seen a positive increase of 2.65% in the span of four months, and exports to South China have experienced a remarkable surge of 65% from July to October. Moreover, there are potential investments of 500 million dollars from China and the UAE in Pakistan’s LNG projects.
Readers, the commendable and decisive initiatives led by General Asim Munir, coupled with his foreign diplomatic efforts, are contributing significantly to the continuous improvement of Pakistan. The nation expresses gratitude to Army Chief General Asim Munir and the Pakistan Army for their dedicated efforts in working sincerely towards the betterment of the country.
