Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir received the Baton of Field Marshal during a grand ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif jointly awarded the honor.

Pakistan’s prime minister has promoted the country’s powerful army chief, Gen. Asim Munir, to the rank of field marshal, making him only the second military officer in Pakistan’s history to hold the title.

Pakistan's army chief General Asim Munir is the most powerful man in the country, but his popular support has surged after the worst conflict in decades with arch-rival India, shattering criticism of interference in politics and harshly cracking down on opponents.