Asim Munir has also served as the commander of the Force Command Northern Areas

Lt Gen Asim Munir was appointed on Wednesday as the new chief of Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI, the Army's media wing announced.

Munir, who previously served as the head of the Military Intelligence (MI), was recently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General by the Army Promotion Board headed by Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

He replaces Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar.

Mukhtar assumed the office of the Inter-Services Intelligence director general in December, 2016.

Munir has also served as the commander of the Force Command Northern Areas. He was conferred Hilal-i-Imtiaz in March 2018.

The Army also announced several key top level transfers after army chief promoted five major generals to the next rank last month.