Pakistan’s new military chief took command of the country's armed forces on Tuesday amid a deepening political rift between the government and the popular opposition leader, as well as a renewed threat from a key militant group that has been behind scores of deadly attacks over 15 years.
The army has historically wielded huge influence in Pakistan, ruling it for half of the country's 75-year history. But it has also been fighting local and foreign militants since 2001 when Pakistan became an ally of the United States in the war on terror. The alliance angered Pakistani militants, some of whom joined the Afghan Taliban in the yearslong war that ended in 2021 with the withdrawal of the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
