Former army chief General Raheel to speak at World Economic Forum

The ex-army chief will discuss security issues and highlight the army's counter insurgency plans

ISLAMABAD: Former army chief General (retd) Raheel Sharif will speak at the four-day annual meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

The ex-chief of army staff (COAS) will discuss security issues reshaping global agenda and highlight developing opportunities in South Asia under the $55 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

Gen Raheel, who retired in November last year, would also highlight Pakistan Army’s counter insurgency operations and improved security environment in the country as well as in the region.

The annual WEF meetings will start from November 17 and continue for four days. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is also expected to attend the event.



Gen Raheel will address three sessions of the WEF in addition to speaking at as many events arranged on the sidelines of the sessions. This includes a dinner by Munich Security Conference.

The WEF’s 47th Annual Meeting represents the largest and most diverse meeting of leaders from all stakeholder groups. Priorities of the annual meeting are strengthening global growth, reforming market capitalism, preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and re-imagining global cooperation.

This year the theme of the meeting is Responsive and Responsible Leadership and over half of the programme’s 400 sessions will address strategies for fostering greater social inclusion and human development. A record 3,000 participants, coming from all continents, are attending the event this year.



The former army chief's session on global security will address various dimensions including noteworthy changes and emerging trends reshaping the international security agenda. The recalibration of US security priorities, geostrategic shifts and future conflict domains will also be explored.

Chairman King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Saudi Arabia Turki al Faisal al Saud and German defence minister Ursula von der Von der Leyen are other prominent speakers. Robin Niblett, Director, Chatham House, United Kingdom, will moderate the session.

Another session Gen Raheel will address is ‘Terrorism in the Digital Age’.