Lt General (R) Hamid Gul is passed away ( إِنَّا للهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ ) He was 79 Years old . He remained DG ISI from 29 March 1987 to 4th October 1989. He is expired in CMH Murree after brain hemorrhage. May Allah rest his soul in peace.
He was a great great great Man great solider great commander great ISI cheif , great general great Pakistani. He was the valuable asset of Pakistan. Nation can never forget his services for Pakistan. May his soul Rest in peace.we salute you sir and have no words for patriotism.
A great true warrior and true patriotic .Allah Almighty raise his ranks at the highest peah n bestow a supreme place in Jannat ul Firdous.Pakistani nation deprived a great hero…great proud our great hero.
Funeral of General Hamid Gul (late) will be held in Rawalpindi Race Course Ground (Polo Ground) Today (16-08-2015) at 5:30pm.
General Hamid Gul Military Career
General Hamid Gul was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in a distinguished tank regiment, 19th Lancers, on 18th of October 1958.In a brilliant carrier spread over 36 years, he topped almost every course he attended, commanded some of the best units and formations of The Pakistan Army including the crack 1st Armored Division and 2 Corps, the premier strike formation of Pakistan. He earned the reputation of a brilliant and dashing commander, loved and admired by his troops and respected by his seniors. He attended staff college Camberly in 1970 and left his mark their as one of the finest graduates of the institution. As a young officer he attended the US Pacific Army’s Intelligence School, Okinawa (Japan) and still holds an unbeaten record with over 99% aggregate marks. His military career took him to the rank of General. At the height of his military career he was deemed to be the hottest favourite for the slot of The Chief of the Army Staff but due to political pressures from abroad he was not selected and assigned the Director Generalship of a military industrial complex which he refused to accept and resigned from the Army.
ISI and Afghan Jihad
The highest attainment of his long and distinguished career was his Command of The Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) during the fateful period of Afghan Jihad against the Soviet occupation of that country. He is widely regarded as the doctrinaire and the architect of the Afghan resistance which eventually steered the Afghan Mujahideen to historic victory and vacation of Afghanistan on 15th of Feb 1989. He was immensely popular with all the Mujahideen factions of that time who held him in very high esteem and treated him as a fatherly figure. He used his sway and clout over the Mujahideen to forge peace in Afghanistan on at least three occasions when Mujahideen factions had started fighting among themselves after liberation. It was creditable that he did so after retirement, entirely in his individual capacity. The unruly Mujahideen commanders obeyed and respected him like no one else? Later on with the advent of Taliban’s rise he was equally admired and respected by the Taliban leadership because of his principled stand in support of the Afghan resistance against US aggression so much so that he was invited as the chief guest at the Afghan National Day parade in Kabul on 19th August 2001.
He is generally regarded as the benefactor and friend of the Afghan nation as a whole and command influence both on the Taliban side and among the top Government functionaries and the political leaders of the Kabul Regime. It is generally believed that he would be one person who could play an important conciliatory role for the unity of Afghan Nation at an appropriate time.
General Hamid Gul Public Profile
Inside the country, General Hamid Gul is by word for honour, truth, integrity and bold stance on national issues in the entire Pakistani society. He enjoys great respect among ulema, intellectuals, technocrats and retired and serving servicemen of all hues and colours. But perhaps he cuts the best image among the youth of Pakistan. He is one of the most converted and sort after figures for domestic and international media. He is almost deluged daily by the world media for his opinion and analysis which he blends with a strategic foresight hardly manifest in any other media personality. His forecasts about all situations arising after 9/11 have proved to be prophetically true. His understanding of the Jihadi movements is remarkably accurate and his courage to standby the noble causes of freedom and human rights endears him not only to the Pakistani nation but a wide swathe of public opinion in the Muslim world.
Lawyers Movement
Lately he was one of the leading lights during the lawyer’s movement which electrified the civil society of Pakistan among them the ex-servicemen of the Pakistan armed forces who rallied behind him and carried the movement to its logical conclusion resulting in restoration of the deposed judges of the supreme and high courts. His lectures to a large number of the Pakistan Bar Councils were highly motivational and his personal example in leading the public rallies was greatly appreciated across the nation.
Adversary Sentiments
While his legendary reputation and hero image inspires a broad cross section of Pakistani society particularly the youth he also invokes adversary sentiments among left wing liberals and draws ire of imperialist powers that fear the resurgence of Islam as a counter poise which must not be allowed to have a personality symbol. Yet, his opinion carries immense weight age among the policy makers of friends and foes alike.
Recognition and Awards
In recognition of his services he was once described by a Russian diplomat as Commander in Chief of the Afghan Mujahideen. For his monumental achievements in reversing the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan and eventually liberating the Western Europe from the red menace he was presented by the German Intelligence BND a rock piece of the Berlin Wall mounted on a plaque inscribed; “with deepest respects to General Hamid Gul who helped delivered the first blow”. He is recipient of several gallantry and meritorious service awards of Pakistan as well as medals by various public organizations.
Soldier Scholar
Gen Gul is not only a brilliant solider and strategist but also wields his pen with enormously effective expression on major issues both domestic and international. He is one of the chief opinion makers of the country, especially among the right wing intellectuals. He has written hundreds of columns mostly for Urdu press of Pakistan but also for the English readership home and abroad. He has been severely reported and quoted by such prestigious publications as The Time, The Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal and almost all other reputable magazines and dailies of the world in all languages. He regularly appears on TV channels and Radio programmes. People wait to listen to his direction before forming their own opinions.
Awards:
Sitara-e-Imtiaz
Sitara-e-Basalat
Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)