RAWALPINDI: Pakistan army’s media wing has said that the incoming army chief General Qamar Bajwa has “zero presence” on social media and any accounts under his name are fake.

“#COAS designate Gen Qamar Bajwa has zero presence on social media. All Facebook / Twitter & other social media platforms IDs & accounts on his name are fake,” Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa said on Twitter.

He made the announcement just a day after Gen Bajwa was appointed as the country’s new chief of army staff (COAS). He will replace General Raheel Sharif on November 29.

Asim Bajwa further announced that a formal change of command ceremony will be held on Tuesday at the army’s general headquarters (GHQ) to welcome the incoming chief.

Earlier, former Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh praised Pakistan’s new Army chief as a true ‘professional’.

“In the UN operations, General Bajwa’s performance was totally professional and outstanding. But a military officer’s conduct in the international environment is different from the way he conducts himself back home. There, he is governed by his country’s national interests,” General Singh was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

General Bajwa served as a brigade commander in the UN peace-keeping operations in Congo in 2007 under General Bikram Singh.

Singh further said it’s important to “wait-and-watch” how General Bajwa conducts himself.

“General Bajwa is well-versed with the complexities, nature of operations and terrain along the LoC. He has also handled Kashmir extensively during his career,” another Indian army official was quoted as saying.