Islamabad, Nov 28 (IANS): Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday praised outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa for "efficiently" dealing with the 'crises' in the country during his six-year-long tenure, a media report said.

COAS Bajwa is set to retire on November 29 and will hand over the "baton of command" to General Asim Munir, who was appointed to succeed him last week, Geo News reported.

As he gets ready to bid farewell to arms after serving as COAS from 2016-2022, Gen Bajwa met Prime Minister Shehbaz and President Arif Alvi on Monday.

During the meeting, Shehbaz lauded the outgoing chief's services for the Pakistan Army, national defence, and national interests, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office read.

"The army, under the leadership of Gen Bajwa, has rendered exemplary services during various crises — including the removal of Pakistan from the FATF's (Financial Action Task Force) grey list, coronavirus pandemic, and floods," the Prime Minister was quoted as saying by Geo News.

The armed forces crushed the menace of terrorism with valour and bravery under Gen Bajwa's leadership, the premier said as he noted that he took charge as the army chief during "one of history's toughest moments".

"Gen Bajwa also played a key role in making Pakistan's defence impregnable. (His) leadership in a complex regional situation set the direction for dealing with security challenges."

Shehbaz also appreciated the army chief's services in terms of geo-economics as he noted that all political forces would have to sign on a "charter of the economy" to ensure that Pakistan becomes a strong economic force.