NEW YORK: Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has been named among “the World’s Most Powerful People” by Forbes magazine in its annual ranking, saying he has established himself as a “mediator and proponent of democracy.”

General Bajwa, who was appointed to the post in 2016, was ranked 68 among 75 people, according to the top American business magazine.

“Javed Bajwa joins the world’s most powerful at a time when the rift between India and Pakistan is improving, partly thanks to his efforts,” Forbes said. “He has a difficult task of keeping peace in the US ally state where terrorist groups are present, while managing a complex relationship with India,” it wrote.

“Two years into his tenure as the head of the world’s sixth largest army, Bajwa has established himself as a mediator and proponent of democracy,” the global magazine added.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa is the only Pakistani on the list and is among 17 newcomers to the list.

According to the magazine, four factors were taken into account to select each individual: how many people over whom they have power; the financial resources they control; if they have influence in more than one sphere; and how actively they wield their power to change the world.

“There are nearly 7.5 billion humans on planet Earth, but these 75 men and women make the world turn. Forbes’ annual ranking of The World’s Most Powerful People identifies one person out of every 100 million whose actions mean the most,” the magazine said.

Among them there are presidents, billionaires, heads of organisations, CEOs, and one special counsel. One commonality: Their words and actions impact a large number of people, businesses, and even entire economies, it added.

This year’s list is topped by Chinese President Xi Jinping, pushing out Russia’s Vladimir Putin from the top and giving him the second slot.

Further, the magazine’s annual listing by Forbes magazine placed US President Donald Trump at the third place.

The fourth most powerful person in the world also happens to be the most powerful woman: Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany.

She is followed by Amazon chief Jeff Bezos.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked number nine in the list.

The list also includes Pope Francis (6), Cofounder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates (7), French President Emmanuel Macron (12), Alibaba Chief Jack Ma (21), CEO and Chairman of Tesla Elon Musk (25), UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (31), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (36), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (57), Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (62), Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (69) and Daesh’s self-proclaimed leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (73).—APP