PM appoints Lt. Gen Raheel Sharif as Army Chief

PM appoints Lt. Gen Raheel Sharif as Army Chief

ISLAMABAD:Lt Gen. Raheel Sharif has been appointed as Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) while Lt Gen Rashid Mahmood as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

President Mamnoon Hussain endorsed the PM’s recommendations both Lt Generals will be promoted to General rank on November 28.

Earlier on Wednesday, PM Nawaz held meetings separately with the two Lieutenant Generals. According to sources, matters relating to the security of the country and professional affairs were also discussed in the meetings.

Lieutenant General Raheel Sharif

Prior to this appointment as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Raheel Sharif was serving as the Inspector General Training and Evaluation at the General Headquarters.

His prior appointments include Commander, Gujranwala XXX Corps, Commandant of Pakistan Military Academy Kakul and General Officer Commanding Lahore.

He is the younger brother of Nishan-i-Haider recipient Major Shabbir Sharif.

Lieutenant General Rashad Mehmood

Prior to his appointment as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Lieutenant General Rashad Mahmood was serving as the Chief of General Staff while he has also served as the Corps Commander of Lahore.

He was also the military secretary to former President Rafiq Tarar.

Lt General Mahmood comes from Baloch Regiment and had served under General Kayani as ISI deputy director general.

Lt Gen. Rashad Mahmood’s profile

Newly appointed Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), Lieutenant General Rashad Mahmood, Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) was commissioned in May 1975 in Baloch Regiment.

He has attended Company Commander Course from France and is a graduate of Command and Staff CollegeCanada, NationalDefenceCollege, Islamabad.

According to Bio Data issued by ISPR here, the General Officer has varied experience of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.

His major appointments include Platoon Commander, PakistanMilitaryAcademy, Brigade Major Infantry Brigade, Instructor at Command & StaffCollege and NationalDefenceCollege.

He has remained Chief of Staff Bahawalpur Corps and Military Secretary to the President.

The General Officer has commanded two Infantry Battalions, two Infantry Brigades and United Nations contingent at Congo, Infantry Division at Jhelum, Director General at Inter Service Intelligence Directorate, Islamabad and Commander Lahore Corps.

After commanding the Corps, he took over as Chief of General Staff in January 2013. The General Officer has been conferred with Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military).